The Story of Zax
by Teemuu
Summary: The unlikely adventures of Zax, a roguish tiefling. Read his story as he battle tax collectors, his giant ego, his reputation, scary girls, his magical sword, and more!
1. Chapter 1

Sergeant Darwen stared at the desolate mountains that surrounded her fortress.

The grey haired elf was aware that a sizable force of bandits were in the area, but knew that they would fail miserably if they assaulted Fortress Grom. Even with the recent troop reductions ordered by the Capital, the light garrison was more than a match for any rabble.

Despite her confidence she felt a desolate chill. She noted it wasn't cold, and even if it was she was a descendant of the exiled Ice Elves, a displaced people that were driven from their homes by the infamous Sir Hildraxel centuries ago.

She wondered if she was regretting her decision to stay with the army. There was talk about her scattered people being lead back north by a holy woman of some sorts, and an invitation to anyone with Ice elf blood to join them. Even elves who had mixed with the southern wood elves, or the portly half elves were invited into their crusade. A part of Darwen wanted to come, but she considered the dangers of such a journey. Dangerous shark people which prowled the seas, the powerful Orders of knights that currently occupy their homeland, and even rumors of bands of giants sweeping in from the north.

The Sergeant knew she was quite skilled at both sword and sorcery but doubted her ability to face such threats. Only a hero of some sort could battle those type of odds.

"Ma'am ...the night relief hasn't arrive yet.", commented a soldier breaking Darwen's train of thought.

"Do you think they overslept? ", another asked suppressing a yawn.

Darwen frowned. Ever since the northern trade routes closed down the strategic importance of this fortress had lessened. Discipline and order were still maintained but the grey haired elf sensed that not all those in her command took their job seriously. This latest incident just proved her suspicions.

A loud clamor suddenly erupted from within the keep. It sounded like a battle to the elf.

" You two follow me. ", commanded the elf as she marched to investigate. It was most likely a drunken brawl and she dreaded the task to break up her bored frustrated troops. She sighed and resigned herself to accept her mundane duty. She was just a soldier, not some brave hero in a fanciful tale after all.

* * *

><p>"Help ! Help !", blubbered captain Fetch, as he stumbled his way out of the sewer.<p>

The hero Zax had just finish ferrying a group of important noble women to a safe location in the city. The demon animals and the Xill army were amassing outside the walls, but the courageous carriage driver thought it more prudent to rescue civilians first. He was heading back to the White Shield district in town to see if anyone else needed to be transported when he spied the filthy guard captain.

"Shouldn't you be at the gates? ", the handsome tiefling asked the gangly man. "I would be there myself, but there are still the daughter's of nobility to rescue.

Captain Fetch held up his hand and tried to catch his breath. Zax had previous dealings with the young man and knew whatever he was up to he was way over his head. Zax remembered Fetch had stumbled on the black carriage murderer a few months before, and only the tieflings intervention saved him. He also recalled the captain's wife and robot butler being abducted by vampires, and Zax had to save them as well. Fetch was in over his head again Zax thought. The captain was a good natured boy but he was a magnet for trouble.

"Demons, sewer, hag, manor, daughter..", huffed Fetch. It was just babble to Zax but he quickly discerned the meaning.

"Hop on!", ordered the tiefling. Although Zax was a lieutenant in the army, his powerful presence overwhelmed the captain. The human obediently hopped into the carriage and the two raced towards Fetch's manor.

Zax's carriage was well known to be the fastest in the city, if not all of Grom. At that time , the animals in the area were vicious and unruly, but somehow Zax kept his mounts under control. It was rumored they were a cross breed of nightmare or the tiefling used some infernal magic to keep them under control. Whatever it was, they sped through the city.

As the carriage rumbled its way to their destination, Zax saw the bodies of slain civilians and guardsmen.

"An evil hag did this!", cried the survivors,"Look its Zax! Go get her!"

Zax gave a Kerr wave to his supportive admirers as he urged his steeds to go faster. Poor Fetch was not use to such a bumpy ride, his noble upbringing and his bought commission had prepared him poorly for the rough and tumble life . The poor captain almost lost his lunch in the carriage. Lucky for him, he didn't. That would have made Zax very mad.

Fetch's manor was up ahead. The tieflings keen eyes could see a monstrous hag threatening Fetch's daughter, through the window. The remains of a guard patrol were scattered in front of the manor. No doubt, they were futile in stopping the creature.

Zax took the reigns by his teeth then, drew his Grom club from under the seat with his right hand , and readied his dragon golem with the left.

"Hold on tight!", he said with clenched teeth as he urged his mounts faster.

"AAAAHHHHHHH! NOOOOO! My windows!", shrieked the captain as the horses leaped into the air and smashed through the panes of glass infront of the house.

The hag stopped threatening the girl, and turned to face her new attackers. It was too late though, as the horses trampled her into the ground. Zax knew that the creature would only be stunned by such an attack. He jumped down and expertly swatted the hag with his club, then shot her with his dragon golem , tearing off an arm.

"NOOOOO! ", cried the hag as she staggered from the lethal attack, "It was foretold only the greatest of all heroes, can slay me! How can this be!"

Zax swung his club again and it cracked the hag's leg. The dieing creature fell on her knees in pain. Zax aimed his dragon golem again and shot the hideous creature through the heart. The hag fell to the ground, and collapsed into a pile of dust.

Fetch's young daughter, an adopted tiefling by the way, showered Zax with kisses.

Her useless fat bodyguard stumbled from the kitchen and wept in thanks to the tiefling. He failed in his duty, but luckily the handsome carriage driver saved his charge.

Fetch and his wife were so thankful for Zax's heroic deed that they promised him everything. Fame, fortune, even their daughter's hand in marriage, but the courageous carriage driver refused.

"All in a day's work!", he said with a cocky smirk.

"At least accept this sword!", said Fetch's wife. "It's magical, but neither one of us know how to use it correctly . Take this at least, to show and prove to everyone your heroism on this day."

Zax humbly accepted the gift. Even though he carries the sword to this day, he never draws it. A true hero doesn't need a reward for his deeds, he only carries it to warn evil doers to be wary of his might...

* * *

><p>"Bull shit!", said Sir Ivan, " That's the stupidest made up story I've ever heard ! "<p>

"Its all true though. ", the Zax said with a smile, "Ask everyone here . The surviving guards in the courtyard confirmed that story. They called me "Sir Zax the Hag Slayer" after that day."

The crowd gathered at the busy inn all nodded in agreement. Sir Ivan had heard enough of these stupid Zax stories ever since he came to the city a week ago. As a veteran of countless wars, and a seasoned adventurer these stories irritated him to no end. Normally he would just ignore this crazy boasting , but with a pitcher of ale and several bottles of wine in him, he figured he would do something about it.

"Anyone who believes that story is an idiot!", Sir Ivan said , while getting up from his chair. He was a massive knight almost six and a half feet tall, and made of solid muscle. He was an intimidating looking man with short grey hair , a long beard, and a scarred face. He towered over the small thin orange tiefling .

"A carriage jumping through a window? Absurd! Firing your dragon golem twice without reloading. Anyone who's ever used one, knows its almost impossible to load it with a foe in melee ! Calling the Warmaster a bumbling buffoon! Unforgivable!", declared Ivan getting redder and madder.

The inn grew quiet as their attention focused on Zax's reaction . Zax was well aware of their gazes, and wondered what to do. He enjoyed telling his tale, and even agitating the knight, but this was getting out of hand. The tiefling enjoyed the benefits his fraudulent reputation had given him in the last year. Free dinners and drinks, the attention of nobles and their daughters, a substantial boost to his carriage business , discounts at the local merchants ...all things that a hero of his reputation deserved. However, all good things must come to an end it seemed. The knight was drunk, but he was also a seasoned veteran and almost twice as big as the tiefling. Zax was a fair duelist with knives, and was skilled with a club, but he had doubts he could pose a challenge to the knight.

"I think, you've drank too much Sir! How about you just sit down before the guard arrest you for making a public disturbance.", said Zax calmly. Even though his demeanor was cool, the tiefling was terrified his bluff wouldn't work. Losing face was one thing, but getting pummeled by the giant knight was another. Zax had a very low tolerance to pain and suffering.

Even with his liquored dulled senses, Ivan could see through Zax's bluff. " They can arrest me all they want !", he roared so that the entire inn could hear him. "I see you have a blade, how about we have a duel, and you can show everyone how a great hero beats a belligerent drunk." To make his point, Ivan drew a large broad sword. It gleamed blue, and seemed to hum with a hidden power.

Zax gulped nervously. Getting pummeled was one thing, Zax had endured many beatings while he was young, dueling with a knight with a magic sword was a completely different matter." I would love to , but this is the blade Fetch's wife gave me. I said I would wear it heroically as a shining example to others, not to use it in petty duels." . The tiefling hoped to keep talking, maybe the guard would come and end this before it started. His statement was partially true though, the blade was given to him by Fetch's wife, but it was some sort of trick sword. It was glued into the scabbard or something, Zax couldn't even draw it if he tried.

Ivan roared in laughter,"That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard ! ". He drew back and horked a big gob of spit onto the blade. " How's that for a shining example! Prepare for an old fashioned pommel beatin..."

Suddenly the sword at Zax's side appeared in his hand. The tiefling wasn't sure what happened next, but the blade sliced through Ivan's tabard,shattered his blade, cut his hand, and chopped his beard off. It left a blazing trail of flame as it flew through the air, burning and charring the air around him before settling back into the scabbard.

Ivan was stunned, he first grasped his wounded hand, as the hilt of his sundered blade fell to the ground. Then he realized not only his tabard was cut, but the mail underneath was sliced opened as well. A light bleeding wound was clearly visible on his chest under the destroyed armor and cloth.

The crowd cheered as Ivan and Zax looked at each other , both trying to appear more surprised then the other!

"3 Cheers for Zax!", the crowd shouted.

The bartender gave the tiefling and his friends another round of drinks. Any doubts of the truth of his stories vanished after Zax defeated the Knight. His friends celebrated the victory , while Zax attempted to play down the event. The tiefling's modesty seemed to convince the crowd even more that he was truly a humble hero. As the night grew late, Zax's friends left one by . They had work the next day and wished the tiefling a good night. The victorious tiefling would have left as well, but he was still to shock to leave.

"That was an impressive display , Sir Zax." , a man said while clearing his throat.

Zax appraised the man. He was a younger version of Ivan. He was even armed and armored in a similar fashion to Ivan , minus the scars, and with dark hair. Behind him , was a spikey hair dwarf and a thin man wearing a robe with arcane runes.

"Sir Halvor at your service.", said the large man with a polite tone.

Zax didn't have time for these 3, but he didn't want to be rude . The last thing he wanted was another duel with a drunken knight. "Zax, what can I do for you?"

Halvor seemed a bit nervous,"Forgive us for being so direct, but we are forming an expedition to travel through the Broken mountains. As you know , passage through the mountains have been non existent this last year, due to the increased activity from demons and goblins."

Zax nodded , attempting to appear to contemplate and understand the situation. He didn't really care much about the going ons outside of the city. He did recall that the trade caravans through the mountains had been suspended for about a year. Almost all of the trade to and from Grom City went through the harbor these days.

"We've traversed the pass a few times, and believe that the danger has mostly passed. We are forming a caravan through the mountains, and we...", said Halvor before he was stopped by Zax.

"You were wondering , if I would sign up for your expedition. You need someone with my reputation to calm the merchants . Sorry guys, not interested. I'm a hero, not a mercenary . Not to worry though, this is Lower Lueders. I'm sure you'll find an ...adventurer", Zax said with disdain, " to aid you on your venture."

Halvor sighed, and appeared disappointed , "Sorry to have wasted your time, good sir. Bartender, please get Sir Zax here another drink ."

The trio stalked off, while Zax smiled as he received his free drink. He could hear the dwarf grumbling something, about his magic sword.

Zax stared at the blade at his side. For the last year, he thought it was just glued into the scabbard. The scabbard looked impressive, but looked more expensive then magical. He heard tales of dancing blades, and wondered if this was one of them. If it was such an item, why wasn't he able to draw it till today. More importantly, why did Fetch's wife give it to him, if it was such a rare and magical item.

Zax cleared his throat, "Do you have a name?", he asked nervously.

"Nymkakku, of the Diamond Khanate. ", said a high feminine voice.

Zax blinked at the sword , but then saw a pretty woman wearing leathers and furs sit next to him. The tiefling took a deep breath, and chuckled at himself. For a second he thought the sword had answered him. Zax grinned and adopted a heroic roguish stance.

"Zax of Lower Lueders, hero, soldier, duelist, lover ...at your service.", he said with a short bow.

Nymkakku gave a girlish giggle at the attention, "That was amazing what you did earlier, I guess all those stories are true ! "

Zax shrugged, "Some aspects of them are true, some have been exaggerated with each telling by my admirers .", he said . Zax loved playing up the role of the humble reluctant hero. He didn't mention the fact that he did most of the exaggerating himself.

Nymkakku edged closer to the orange tiefling. She had short dirty blond hair, and blue almond eyes. With her petite frame, furs, and leathers, she appeared to be some sort of young barbarian princess. Not like the famous amazon Ulla, but more like a barbaric version of a noble courtesan. Which was fine with Zax, he didn't like his women with more muscles then him.

Zax loved this part of being a hero, before he was just an outcast tiefling. He didn't even have any cool features like the other tieflings, no cool horns, or scary tail , or deadly claws. He was just orange. He didn't even have any cool tiefling powers, like making the room go dark. The only power he had, was he could raise the temperature of his skin. Not hot enough to ignite things, which would have been really cool, but just hot enough to give a person a slight burn if they remained in contact for a while. The old Zax wouldn't have been given a second look by this exotic beauty.

"So, Nymkak...", began Zax.

"Nymk is fine.", purred the young woman, "I like dangerous men, and dangerous weapons...tell me about your sword."

Zax smiled, "You're not the first beautiful woman to inquire about my sword, but I don't think you're referring to the same one they were ."

Nymk drew closer and blew gently into his ear. " Are you certain?"

"Jackpot", thought Zax as he relaxed a bit. A quick tale, and he would have this girl on her back and in his carriage in no time. He loved being a hero!

"Its pretty much what I said, I received this blade as a gift from Captain Fetch's wife. To tell you the truth , that was the first time I drew it. I thought a quick display of my skill should have difused the situation. I didn't mean to strike his blade so hard though. Sometimes I don't know my old strength.", he boasted with suppressed confidence.

"The lady Tyris gave you that sword?" , asked Nymk ignoring the rest of Zax's statements.

Zax scratched his head, "I think that's her name. She doesn't talk much. I went hunting vampires with her once, she only said 3 things to me, her robot butler did all the talking."

"Vampires ... robot butler ?", Nymk said confused.

Before Zax could answer, a full squad of guards marched into the tavern. A dark robed man was leading them and he scanned the stunned patrons.

"Its ok, that's not the city guards, its just the tax collector. I've dealt with these scum before .", said Zax , hoping this wouldn't panic Nymk. To his surprise the woman had disappeared . The tiefling scanned for her, but was interrupted.

"Sir Zax? By the authority of the Chancellor , I am ordered to escort you to Tax Collector Collin. Where you will be hereby subjected to an audit!"


	2. Chapter 2

Zax sneered at tax collector Collin. Although for the last year, he had pretended to be a hero, the tiefling was justifiably confident when dealing with the Tax Auditors of Grom. Famous knights and wizards have been known to be reduced to quivering wrecks when faced by the Royal Tax Collectors, but Zax stood his ground. This wasn't his first tax audit, and he was sure it wasn't going to be the last.

Collin blinked at the tiefling," Zax the owner of Royal Carriages?"

Zax nodded, "That's me. You were expecting someone older I bet, but due to my mix heritage I appear a lot younger then my real age."

"I see..", the auditor replied while making notes.

"2 am is pretty late for a tax audit don't you think?", asked Zax annoyed at being dragged from the bar. Even more annoying was the Auditor's goons scaring off Nymk , his chances with her were definitely runined.

"Taxes stop for no man", replied the dark robed man.

"You're new here , aren't you?", asked the orange tiefling as he examined the spartan office.

The thin man paused as he considered Zax. The tiefling did not seem that remarkable to him. After a moment of consideration the gaunt faced man in the black robes nodded, "Quite correct, I've been transferred from Grom City a few weeks ago. Your file has apparently been flagged for quite awhile now. When I examined it I was shocked. Over 10,000 gold in declared income, a business, mounts, employees...and you paid , lets see here, under 100 gold in taxes."

Zax shrugged, "The government shouldn't put tax exemptions in place , if they didn't want people to use them. Everything's in order I assure you."

Collin chuckled at the comment as he readied a pile of papers, "The issue at hand here is the validity of those exemptions. To begin with, lets deal with your milit..."

Zax stood up and pointed to his pack, "May I?", he said slowly. The tax collectors in Grom were mostly seasoned battle veterans. Those that weren't normally found themselves overwhelmed by the victims they antagonized. Zax was pretty sure this Collin fellow could smite him with a spell or shoot him with a crossbow, so he made sure he didn't make sudden moves.

Collin was curious to what sort of games Zax wanted to play. He nodded his head to indicate to him to proceed.

Zax breathed a sigh of relief and retrieved several ledgers and folders from his pack. They were several volumes of the papers, and Collin surmised it was some sort of magical carrying device.

"Don't worry I have a receipt for this. ", said Zax as he organized his papers,"You see, after my 4th audit. I decided to be prepared. Here are copies of my ledgers, and documentation on the legitimacy of my tax exemptions. May I?"

Collin was both impressed and annoyed at the tiefling's preparations. Most men were begging for mercy at this point of the audit, especially after his goons drag them here in the middle of the night.

"To begin with, as you can plainly see I am of mixed heritage. A tiefling as most people call it. We all know that the Royal Auditors provide no exemptions for my lowly people...however it has been established in the past, that people of mixed racial heritage can claim benefits from either blood line. See Mighty Zug vs the people of BarkWark. I have here , a sworn statement from the Sheriff of Halfhaven that I have sufficient halfling blood in me to qualify for the hobbit sustenance tax deduction. ", Zax stated wincing at the difficulty in convincing the Sherrif. The tiefling remembered the grueling test of competing in the fall pie eating competition. It took him several tries but he finally placed second , and convinced the sheriff he was part halfling.

"In the second folder, you'll find I have membership to the Devil's wood druid society. This qualifies me for the animal and mount tax rebate. This allows me to run my carriage business efficiently and profitably. I assure you its quite legit. Even Lord Kerr honors me with his patronage .", continued the tiefling. Zax remembered how he convinced the high druid of the woods to join his circle. It was easy enough if a bit embarrassing. Zax recalled the many days he had to run naked in the woods, smearing himself with mud and leaves.

"On a more mundane note, everyone knows I am a lieutenant in the Grommish Army. Even though I mustered out years ago, I still am an active member of the reserves. This qualifies me for the veteran deduction as well as the active service man reduction. Thus exempting my weapons and armor, as well as a hefty reduction of my taxable income.", boasted Zax proudly.

Collin interrupted, "Your military service is unremarkable, you served in the quarter masters corp and mustered out voluntarily after the defeat of Lord Lueders. I'm curious , to my knowledge they don't allow tieflings in the army. Forgive my rudeness, but they are considered untrustworthy and unreliable. How did they let you in? Let alone make you an officer?"

Zax feigned shock at the tax collector's statement. "It's true that tieflings aren't allowed in the army. However my desire to defend my home land allowed the local recruiter to draft me under the heading halfling. Since halflings are naturally adept at organization , they placed me in the support service branch. As for the reasons that they prompted me to an officer, my commanders must have noticed my zeal and dedication to my duty."

As well as the big fat bribes I gave, them thought Zax with a chuckle.

"Although the military exemptions are large, you can see they are not sufficient to cover my total taxes. Fortunately for me , I am also a member of the northern knights. Everyone knows that after the knights defeated Grom around 200 AD (after the Duke) the Grommers gave them much treasures and future tax reductions to intice them to leave. Over the centuries our peoples have become much more amicable, even allies sometimes, but they still demand the right to those deductions. ", boasted Zax. He could see the tax collector was reeling already , so he decided to close in for the kill.

"A knight of the north? That seems very unlikely.", said Collin suddenly recovering. The tax collector sensed an opening in the tieflings defenses and decided to seize it." To my knowledge, Tieflings are sworn enemies to the knights. Like Kobolds and Gnomes, or elves and orcs. I find it quite unlikely that you are a member of one of the knightly orders."

Zax saw his trap was set, and the bait taken. He moved in for the kill, " On the contrary. The knights have battled my people for millennium, but they are not a hateful people. A Sir Vasa of the Husky heard of my heroic deeds, and recruited me into his order. If you look up page 57 Volume One of the master list of legal orders, organizations and religions , under the heading of Silver Champion, the Order of Husky is a prominent and prestigious group. My heroic deeds did not just impress Sir Vasa to knight me, but he also made me knight commander of the order. He even gave me a scroll with his seal on it to prove this."

"Wait..wait...I am familiar with these backward orders, a scroll with a seal doesn't mean anything. They have no supporting documentation ro archives to reference this. How do you know this Sir Vasa can legitimately knight someone in the first place?", scrambled Collin.

Zax appeared confused, but he really wasn't. He wanted to let Collin think he was winning, but in reality he already lost. The tiefling did his infernal ancestors proud , by the devilish delight he took in humbling bureaucrats. "Do you think I would be proclaiming myself as a Knight Commander of the Husky if the legitimacy of my claim could be challenged? If a lowly tiefling claimed such a title , every Knight in the order with any sense of pride would come seeking my head. As you can see on page 57 , the Husky is one of the most prestigious of the lesser orders, we rank right up there with the Bat, Crab, and Walrus. "

Collin considered the statement, and Zax was correct. From all his dealings with the Knights of the North, he knew that if the tiefling wasn't who he stated he was, vengeance would be sought. The auditor sank in his chair, and wondered how he would save face from such a terrible defeat.

Zax appeared impassive, but he was doing a mental victory dance at the moment. No Husky knights would be seeking head, because there were hardly any he failed to mention to Collin was that Sir Vasa was the last surviving Knight of the Order of the Husky. He came south to recruit more heroes but found little luck. After a bottle of wine, some of Zax's inflated tales of heroics, and a "suitable" donation, Zax was made a knight commander of the depleted order. Considered the fortune he had saved it was the "Best 20 gold I ever spent.", thought the tiefling proudly.

"Is that everything sir?", asked Zax humbly. The dejected look on Collins face burned into his memory. He would savor it for sometime.

Before Zax could answer, the door to the auditors room opened.

"Lady Nayra!", said Collin in surprise. Suddenly Zax's spirits fell.

"That will be enough Collin. ", said the head Tax collector dismissively, "I'll take over from here."

Lady Nayra waited for Collin to leave the room. She then smiled at Zax, sending a chill down his spine. She was a tiefling like Zax, but while Zax had only orange skin, Lady Nayra was more visibly marked. Zax thought she had a very fit and almost shapely body. Her face however was something to be desired. Although the lower half of her face , was enough to make a courtesan jealous, the upper half was "unique" . She had an almost beaked nose, scarred by dark veins. Her eyes were similar to those of blind cave fish. They were over sized and milky , devoid of pupils. Her hair was a mix of white feathers and ropey strands. Zax wondered what type of strange outsider the tax collector had descended from.

Discounting her appearance, Lady Nayra was the most feared person in Lower Lueders, possibly all of Northern Grom. It was said that although Lord Governor Kerr could kill you with a gaze, or General Olive can destroy you with her armies, Lady Nayra could tax you to death, and then tax your children, and their children, and even animate your corpse to work till your debts were paid off. Besides the frightening powers of her office, Lady Nayra could call forth giants, and monsters from the Aether to do her bidding.

"Its been a while Zax.", said the head Tax Collector.

Zax remained silent, waiting for the axe to drop. Zax had dealt with her in the past, she wouldn't be here if she didn't have an ace in the hole. Although the tiefling community in Lower Lueders was quite closely knit, there was no love lost between the two.

Nayra walked behind Zax, and passively flipped through his papers. " Military service papers, boring, membership to a druid order, ...oh come now? You a halfling? ...". She then stopped and picked up a scroll with a seal.

"Now this is interesting...Knight of the Husky ? Oh..I'm sorry Knight Commander of the Husky. This is very convenient for you.", said Nayra in a mocking voice.

"Everything is in order. Collin already checked it out. We're not going to have to do another audit are we? I thought there was a limit on how many you people can do before its considered harassment . ", said Zax finally. He would have preferred to stay quiet but Nayra's dismissive tone was drawing his ire.

Nayra ignored his comment , and sat in Collins chair while examining the scroll," This looks legitimate. Everything seems on the up and up."

Zax breathed a sigh of relief. Although he survived many audits before , any encounter of Nayra always filled him with dread. Perhaps the gods were smiling and the spiteful woman was only paying him a social visit.

"However...", Nayra said while Fetch's heart stopped.

"...its come to my attention, that although The Order of the Husky is a prestigious organization, they haven't been fulfilling their knightly obligations. From my understanding, to qualify as a Knight Order under Grom's tax codex, someone...anyone...in the order must perform at least one major quest or crusade every 3 years. Normally, that isn't a problem. Knights are always crusading or questing. Even if half the knights of an order were meditating in a monastery , someone would be out questing. However, that's not the case for your order is it?"

Zax felt a chill run down his spine. Even his ability to slowly heat his skin up did not seem to help with the bitter cold he was feeling.

"Lets get straight to the point here, if your Order does not meet its quest obligations, I will be forced to revoke their status as a Knightly Organization. This will cause you a substantial monetary penalty. As well , it gives me the right to call into question some or all of your other claims. It might takes months to verify them, but in the mean time you will be charged for them. If the tax courts rule in your favor then your money is returned , minus a holding fee of course, if they rule against you, then you will be forced to pay not only this years deductions but the previous years as well.", said the tax collector cruelly . Zax felt the cold bitch twisting a knife twist in his heart.

"By my guess, this will cause your business to fold, and depending on your savings, might put you in debtors prison.", said Nayra with a smirk.

"Enough already...what do you want? Lets stop playing these games.", said Zax angrily. He deduced Nayra was being a bit too theatrical just to tax him. Even if what Nayra said was true, Zax knew he could easily raise the funds needed to maintain his business till the courts decided his case. A few well placed bribes and he would be back in business.

"As you know, the last few months we've seen raids from the giants of Frost haven. Giant raids are not rare, but the amount seen in the past few weeks have been unsettling . There has been reports that a vast giant army is about to the invade. There exact target is unknown, but we can be assured that the devastation they cause will be extensive. ", said Nayra sighing. She seemed to have been enjoying the sight of Zax squirming , now that her fun was done, she seemed reluctant to get back to business.

"Even a small raiding party of giants is difficult to counter, an army of giants requires an army of our own. The 3rd army , the various knightly orders, and even the Halfling Imperial Guard are mobilizing to deal with this threat. As you know, when this many knights gather, they convene a champions meeting. They take the opportunity of these gatherings to settle old scores, fill empty positions, create political alliances, write laws, and draft economic and foreign policies. ", Nayra said with a slight bored tone to her voice.

"Although the legitimacy of your order is in question in Grom, its still considered an important group in the north. So important, that its considered an elector post. An elector knight is someone that gets to vote on new champions and policies... ", said the tax collector before being interrupted.

"Stop..stop right there!", demanded Zax."I see where this is going. You want to send me up north to their barbarian pow wow, and vote in favor of polices that benefit Grom. Well I know something about knights as well. They are a violent and impulsive people . I'm a tiefling for Alphonso's sake. If they see me acting like a knight, someone's gonna challenge me and duel me , most likely to the death. Also , last I heard,to get to the land of Knights you will need a boat. Well no way I'm getting on a boat, while an army giant raiders is ready to invade. No thanks! I'll find my own way to get out of these stupid taxes. "

Zax gathered his papers angrily and stuffed them in his pack. Although his actions might cause him to lose everything, it was better then losing his life. It was hard enough to be a tiefling in Lower Lueders, the second class citizen treatment, the visible stigma, and the slim employments opportunities. Being a tiefling in the northern waste was a different matter, only certain death awaited him there. His people had been beaten and defeated countless times in the past by the knights. Recently the tiefling army of Lord Ari was defeated by a grommer and knight army led by the Famous Sir Frank of the Crab. The death of his people by those barbarians still resonated strongly with Zax.

"You have made a poor decision Zax. I hope you will have your papers ready the next time we meet.", said Nayra as the carriage driver stormed out of the room.

Zax left the Revenue building angrily. They didn't try to stop him , which was a good sign. He half expected a dozen armed Grommish thugs to set upon him as soon as he left the room. The fact he wasn't beaten, meant that he was valuable to them. Maybe they thought he would still come around to their way of thinking. Whatever the reason , Zax had to think fast. He either had to borrow a lot of money or prevent the order of the Husky from falling out of favor. He would have to contact Sir Vasa, convince the old drunk to do a quest or something. It didn't matter if he succeeded or not, from what Zax could understand, he had to attempt a quest not necessarily succeed in it.

Unfortunately for Zax, he had no idea where Vasa had gone to. He hadn't seen him in over a year now. He stayed in town a few weeks after he knighted Zax, but afterwards he went recruiting to the south. After all this time, Zax had no idea where to begin his search. Maybe a wizard or something could help him.

"Look what we have here boys. ", said a gruff voice.

Zax blinked, and realized while deep in thought, he was inadvertently surrounded by a half dozen large men. Zax grew up in the streets, and figured he could give them the slip, but these men looked different from the common thug. They looked way too big to be common criminals.

"Let's teach this fraud a lesson , he won't be getting up from.", said the lead thug as he raised his heavy mace to strike the tiefling.


	3. Chapter 3

Zax's survival instincts kicked in , as the large mace was brought downwards to his head. He didn't survive the mean streets of Lower Lueders without a little street smarts. Also ,the fact that he was a tiefling , meant he was involved in many brawls and altercations in his youth.

Zax dodged to the left, easily avoiding the first mace, but found himself narrowly being missed by the second. These men were trained to fight as a group. They had already surrounded him and were hemming him in with their blows. It wouldn't be long till their maces connected and then it would be over for him.

"RARRRRRRR!", roared a voice behind the melee.

The tiefling wasn't sure what was going on, but the roar seemed to have caught the men off guard. Zax knew it would be now or never. He would over power one, then make a break for it while they were distracted. He reached for the sword at his side, hoping to repeat the performance earlier in the night. Unfortunately the blade appeared to be stuck in the scabbard. Undeterred and with the deft grace only a tiefling could have, he retrieved his Grom Club with a flick of his wrist. In a smooth motion he rolled forward and struck the blunt weapon at the knee of one of his attackers. The man fell back , and wobbled from the pain. A breach in their circle was created.

Before Zax could flee to safety, a large boot from another man struck him in the side. Zax was sent sprawling into the dirt, but the resilient tiefling kept his cool and scrambled to his feet.

The circle was smaller now and the men regarded Zax more warily. The tiefling saw that the source of the yell, was a dwarf, who was currently engaged with 3 of the thugs. There was a lot of blood on the ground, but Zax couldn't tell from whom.

"Enough of this! Kill both of them. No witnesses !", said their leader.

Zax was taken back by the order. Time seemed to slow, as his mind guessed at the identity of his assailants . He guessed these men were not common thugs, but he didn't expect his death was their goal. He half hoped they were paid guards of some human noble sent to put him in his place, or some glory seekers who wanted to boast how they defeated the "Hero of Lueders.". He wondered if they were working for Lady Nayra. Although tieflings had some small measure of respect for each other , Nayra was different. Many tieflings thought she had clawed her way on top of society and she enjoyed kicking other tieflings back down onto the heap. Although if she did want him dead, she could have slain him in the accountants office, and claimed it was self defense. Fights against accountants were fairly common, most ending poorly for the aggressors, but people still did it. Sometimes the accountants would get a much deserved beating as well, which vindicated the often defeated attackers. Maybe she wanted it to look like an accident, maybe she didn't want to appear to be involved. Again, she could have had him abducted back at the office, and he would of ended up a nameless morsel for the fighting beasts in the coliseum or vanish into a fiendish Grommish pit.

A mace struck Zax from behind on his shoulder. It was a glancing blow, but it sent the tiefling staggering forward from pain. Another mace was directed at his chest, but Zax managed to parry it with his club. Sensing his defeat, Zax knew it was now or never. The slight orange boy slipped into the range of the man he parried, and struck him in the chest with his shoulder. Normally the larger man would have ignored his rush, but he was still off balance from his blocked attack. He was knocked on his back and Zax saw his opening. He ran over the man, but suddenly another large man blocked his path.

"Nice try, but you're not going anywhere.", he said with a smile. Zax recognized the voice, and knew he was facing the leader.

Zax knew things had gone from bad to worse. The men 3 men behind him were closing in and the the one on the ground was slowly getting up. Zax hoped the man infront of him would attempt to strike him down . At least Zax would have a chance to dodge his attack and slip past him. Instead he seemed to have adopted a defensive posture, he would wait for his men instead of claiming the glory for himself. Faced with the tightening noose, Zax decided to strike first. His left hand went to his his belt while he threw his club into the man's face. The leader easily deflected it, but while distracted, Zax jumped on him with the brass knuckles he just slipped on. Most of the man was solid muscle, and the tiefling knew , augmented knuckles or not, his blows would be useless. However, there were vulnerable spots, even the most heavily muscled man would sucumb to . A swift blow to his nose was rewarded by a spray of blood. The man struck blindly in pain , and landed a heavy forearm against Zax. The tiefling was surprised at the strength of the man, and even his awkward blow sent him to the ground.

"Um, Gummu smush yuu luku u bug.", the leader attempted to say with a broken nose. He waved his men back as the tieflings attack broke his professional demeanor.

"Well... that's a small victory at least. ", thought Zax as the large man prepared to finish him off. Zax braced for the attack but none came. He looked up as the man stared at his upraised hand. An arrow had pierced it , and he had dropped his mace. Another arrow suddenly struck him in the chest. He turned to face his men, but suddenly toppled over as a third arrow landed in his throat.

The attacking men paused, but the arrows did not stop. A 4th arrow struck the man that Fetch knocked down.

"Retreat!", shouted what must have been the second in command. Fetch could hear something about not having shields or armor, as the men quickly left the make shift battlefield.

Zax breathed heavily and surveyed the situation around him. Only one of the bodies of his attackers remained. The others must have dragged them away. It was the man Zax guessed as the leader, a surprised look was still frozen on his face, right above the arrow through his throat. His first rescuer was dead or unconscious. It was the spikey haired dwarf from the inn. From the blood around him, he must have taken one or two of his attackers out. The others must have dragged or helped them off . The tiefling also looked for the sniper. Zax scanned the rooftops and the alleys, but no sign of the archer that saved him.

Zax wondered if it was all a mistake. Perhaps he wasn't the one targetted by those thugs, maybe he was just a bystander in some underworld power struggle. Both sides were out for blood, were these rival cartels? Military style thugs, snipers, back alley fights it seemed to make sense.

Before he was bogged down in thought, Zax did what came naturally. He started to loot the dead. He looted the thug first, he was the leader, and Zax thought he might have some jewelry or at least a full coin purse. Sadly, he had neither. All he had was a few loose coins , and some old generic equipement. Although not an archer, Zax could tell the arrows were of high quality, maybe magic. He extracted them, and wondered how much he could get for them. The only thing that was noteworthy about this corpse was an interesting bird tattoo on his chest, and a curious ring with a birds claw on it.

He turned to the dwarf and started to rumage through his stuff as well. He didn't have any armor, or weapons , perhaps he was just an innocent bystander after all. It did not look like the dwarf was looking for trouble.

Before Zax could check the contents of his pockets, the dwarf suddenly started coughing .

"cough,cough That was some fight!", said the spikey haired dwarf as he awoke from his torpor. " Didn't think those boys were going to use maces on me. Those guys were tough bastards."

The dwarf stopped and looked around , although there was only one other body, there were several maces on the ground though. "Wait? Did we win? Did you clobber those guys all by yourself? "

Before Zax could answer a look of recognition appeared on the dwarf's bruised face," Hey, you're that Hero guy, Zax. That explains it. I thought I stumbled onto a shakedown, so I was going to do a good deed, but you were fighting those guys all by yourself weren't you? Boy, I must look stupid. Here I was trying to save you but ended up getting rescued instead."

Zax was a bit curious, " You saw 8 guys jump 1 and you jumped in? Were you expecting to win or something? ", the tiefling asked.

The dwarf nodded, "Well, I'm pretty good at fightin , if they were your run of the mill thugs I wouldn't have had a problem. You could tell they worked out and trained alot, by the way they kept formation, also their gear was a bit too generic and plain. They went out of their way to not attract attention. Most punks and gangs go out of their way to attract looks. I saw they all had griffon tattoos, so I'm guessing those guys were military , maybe knights or some sort of assassin brotherhood . "

Zax nodded and pretended to agree,"I saw that too. Good eye."

The tiefling scanned the alleys, if they were indeed a hit squad, then they would probably return. "Hey...errr I didn't catch your name..."

"Kirgi Trollslayer!", said the young dwarf with a blood filled smile."err...it was a small troll."

"Listen Kirgi, where are you staying. You look pretty roughed up, I'll take you back there in case there's more trouble .",said the tiefling. Zax actually had no intention of safeguarding the dwarf. He hoped that if his attackers returned, the slower moving dwarf would delay them while he made his getaway.

Kirgi seemed a bit embarassed but accepted the escort like a scolded child. He had already failed at his martial prowess tonight, so there was no sense arguing with the Hero of Lower Lueders.

"I'm staying at the inn where we met you earlier tonight.", said the dwarf reluctantly.

Perfect, thought Zax. I know people there, I can stay till morning , and leave when there's more people about.

* * *

><p>Zax was amazed that he found Kirgi's company tolerant, even pleasant. The young dwarf was not a sycophant hero worshiper, nor was he paying him lip service while veiling his disgust for tieflings. He seemed honestly just to enjoy fighting and appreciate those that had great martial skill. Not that Zax had any, but his reputation for a warrior and his apparent rescue of the dwarf had definitely made Kirgi friendly.<p>

They reached the inn, with no more attacks and Zax was surprised that people were still in the tavern. Not much but more then he expected. The bartender had long gone to bed, but the serving wench was still there. Kirgi's other companions were there as well, apparently they were unaware of this evenings activities, and how close the dwarf came to death. Zax would have prefered to sneak in, and hide out in secrecy, but there was one more patron in the bar .

"Zax!", said the petite blond woman. It was the maiden that he was talking to earlier, before being hauled off. The tiefling was trying to recall her name, something bizarre. Nykki , Imyk Nymph, ?

Zax waved Kirgi away, pointing at the young woman trying to get his attention. The dwarf gave a gap toothed smile and nodded in understanding. Then he took his leave and approached his companions.

The tiefling confidently strode up the young woman and took a seat by her. He reclined casually acting like he had not a care in the world.

"I didn't expect you to be still here. ", said Zax in his best impression of someone who had everything under control. This was far from the truth however, so far this evening he was threatened by tax collectors, bullied to be a political pawn, and almost slain by hit men. Tomorrow would be no better, he had to pull strings to either revoke his knighthood, or pay his back taxes. He wasn't sure how much it was, but knowing Lady Nayra, it would be a large sum. His business would most likely be ruined, but he valued his skin more. He could always rebuild , as long as his reputation was intact it wouldn't be hard to find backers. Maybe in Grom City, they tolerated tieflings there he had heard.

"Hello? Sir Zax? Oh sorry, you looked lost in thought there, and we just got some drinks from that other table.", giggled the blond girl. Kirgi raised a mug at the pair from across the room when Zax realized what had happened. He tipped his glass back at the dwarf and his companions.

Zax regarded the girl carefully, although he wasn't the strongest person around, he was slightly bigger then this girl. If the assassins came, he was sure he would be able to toss her in their way to buy him some time to escape. "Sorry , I was indeed lost in thought.", the tiefling said while smiling, " Its not easy to concentrate after a meeting with the Royal Tax Collectors."

The girl nodded, with a slight fright in her eyes. Other countries and nations , had their own secret police, and Grom was no different. The Royal Tax Collectors was second in power to the Royal Adventurers in the Grommish Hierarchy, but were loathed even more then the demonic Doom Guard of Alphonso. "Did they torture you? ", she asked in a whisper.

Zax relaxed a bit in the girls presence. He still wasn't sure of her name, but talking about himself always put him a good mood. "Fortunately no, but they did threaten me. They wanted to make me a political pawn in some power struggle up north, but I refused. I'm no man's pawn !", the tiefling said proudly.

"A political pawn? Up north? Like McDunnalds or Karlston?", asked the girl with wide eyes.

"Further north! In the land of the Knights. You know the place with all the goofy names, like the order of the lemming, or the order of the sea gull.", the tiefling laughed, "But seriously , I'll let you in on a little known secret. Besides being a hero of the land, I'm also Knight Commander of the Order of the Snow Dog. A few years ago I showed a wandering warrior some kindness and he knighted me for my good deed. I thought nothing of it, but apparently this gives me voting power or something in some primitive tribal power struggle up north. I would gladly go up north , and show those savages how to run their backward government, but I believe they would find my presence a bit overwhelming."

The girl stared at Zax and rolled her eyes , Zax saw the expression, but she quickly shifted back to that of the adoring fan, " So I guess you refused them, and are staying here then? Won't the Tax Collectors be mad?"

Zax nodded coolly and smugly,"Of course they're mad. They're always mad at me, but I won't let that stop me. They can tax the hell out of me , but that won't keep me down. I'm thinking about relocating anyways. I heard Grom City is nice."

"Standing up to the tax collector, you're the bravest man I know! ", said the girl as she snuggled up to his arm. Zax had no intentions of being intimate with her tonight, not with assassins possibly out for him , but he smiled knowing that he could have had her if he wanted. It was a personal point of pride for him, knowing how many women he can seduce if he wanted to.

"Excuse me.", interrupted a deep voice,"But I couldn't help to over hear that you were thinking of going to Grom city.". The large knight motioned to the empty inn to demonstrate he wasn't purposefully eavesdropping.

Zax sat back comfortably in his chair. It was the same knight that talked to him earlier. He was a big man, and could prove a useful distraction if there was trouble in the next few hours. So the tiefling nodded for him to continue.

The man seemed relieved and began his prepared speech, parts of it Zax had already hear earlier, "We are forming an expedition to travel through the Broken mountains. As you know , passage through the mountains have been non existent this last year, due to the increased activity from demons and goblins. We've traversed the pass a few times, and believe that the danger has mostly passed. We are forming a caravan through the mountains, and we want your presence in our company. We'll make you a full partner in our group."

An idea struck Zax, it would be like getting paid to kill two birds with one stone. The tiefling suppressed a laugh and tried to act interested, "Suppose I agree to this expedition of yours, how long would it take , and how much profits are looking at?"

Halvor, Zax remembered his name but cursed himself for not recalling the girls, seemed shocked that the hero was still interested in his proposal, "About a week at most, and profits are dependent on how many merchants sign up with us. With you aboard, I'm sure the merchants will clamor to join. With rumors of frost giant raiders, their options are limited. I'm guessing a thousand gold each after expenses. We're hiring quite a few men at arms just in case."

Zax acted like he was considering the proposal. Giving a show of weighing the pros and cons of the affair, but the truth was he had already decided. If he went with this expedition it would be easy enough to convince people he was on a quest to clear the pass between Heldann and Grom City. It was overrun by ogres, demons and goblins last year but Halvor said that he made the trip a few times already. From the sounds of it , this Halvor guy was hiring a small army to go with them, it should be safe. If he was a patron of this expedition it would be easy to get the Order of the Husky back in good graces with the Tax department. Also , he would be in Grom City, away from assassins. Zax wasn't sure if hit men were actually after him, but better safe then sorry he thought. He barely survived tonight, next time he might not be so lucky.

Zax held out his hand, "I think we have a deal."

* * *

><p>The morning came without another attack on his person. Zax wasted no time in putting his plans in motions. He sent a letter to Lady Nayra informing her of the grand quest he was about to undertake, he would clear the mountain passes of humanoids and make it safe for travel once again. He also informed his assistant Luthor of his plans to leave town. He had made contingency plans to sell his business if he ever had to escape from an angry mob, but he didn't feel an immediate need to implement those yet. Instead he told Henri his assistant to run business as usual, but be ready to execute the plan if he sent word. Zax informed the commander of the militia that he was leaving town, it was more of a formality as the tiefling was well connected with the militia and had paid handsomely for his commission . Finally he also retrieved his "emergency gear", funds and equipment he had prepared in case rioters discovered his deceptions and chased him out of town. Some armor , weapons, potions and easily converted gems were retrieved.<p>

With his affairs handled , Zax picked out his fastest riding horse, and made his way to the caravan grounds. He found Halvor in deep discussion with a large portly half elf.

"Listen, your poster said basic supplies would be provided.", huffed the half elf waving a bill in front of the knights face ."So how come , you're charging me extra."

The knight was unimpressed and glared at the fat half elf menacingly. Zax found himself a bit intimidated by the knight even though he was not the object of his ire. Surprisingly the half elf did not flinch and held his ground, "Listen, I'll be blunt. I'm pretty sure, you'll consume two or three times as much as a regular merchant. From your application it says your going with a relative of some sort. So I'm looking at 4-6 normal people equivalents to feed. We're not a buffet you know. We have to make our money."

The half elf was unimpressed by his logic, "Look, the poster says, "basic supplies provided ", I talked to the other people who signed up, and you're not charging them. Besides, my ...companion...she doesn't eat that much. So it should balance out."

Zax looked at Halvor and smiled. This was a simple problem, he wondered why the knight couldn't solve it. "May I?", asked the tiefling as he entered the discussion, "This is fairly simple, you will provide him with 2 merchants equivalents of rations . If its not enough, then you can charge him extra."

Zax had expected the fat half elf to protest but instead the knight voiced his concerned, "Merchant equivalents? We've been planning our food based on size of occupant. For example children and the old generally eat less then laborers. "

Zax felt like face palming himself at that moment. He could not believe Halvors narrow thinking or the fact he revealed this to the half elf. "Oh, so you save a few coins on the small eaters, but won't accommodate those with healthier appetites. ", exclaimed the half elf in triumph.

"Sarin, its alright. ", said a quiet voice. Zax looked for the source and was surprised that he hadn't noticed an odd looking young woman with an elaborate dark dress standing next to the hald elf. She had a comely face, and strange light blue almost white hair. "We will provide our own supplies as long as an amount is deducted from our fee. We were one of the first to sign up for your caravan , long before the Hero of Lueders announced his intention to crusade through the mountains , we expect some leeway for our patronage."

Halvor was about to protest, but Zax shook his head at him. The less the big knight spoke the better the tiefling thought. Halvor sighed in agreement and continued with his inspection of the caravan.

Zax was about to chat up this mysterious woman, but the third companion in Halvors band appeared and waved Zax over. The tiefling was annoyed but responded to the summons.

The last member of the group was a soldier of some sort. A Petrus of Cheliax or something like that. Zax had never heard of Cheliax but from the man's swarthy appearance and accent he suspected it must be a city state or small country near Thyatis . Where ever he was from, Zax found the man coldly efficient and to the point. Zax thought it was a waste of the man's talent to run a two bit caravan, he considered offering the man a job in his own company after this expedition was over.

"The caravan is ready Sir Zax. Since your arrival , the carvan has filled to our maximum capacity. However , if you think you are capable, we could increase our capacity. Every additional wagon is basically extra profit. Its up to you if you think we can defend them all though.", said the man with a cautious tone.

Zax found out a long time ago that he could detect if people accepted him, loathed him, or feared him. It was a natural instinct to develop especially if you were a tiefling living in Grom. Tieflings in general were barely accepted in this society. Even the smelly troglodytes had a higher social position then them. For example Troglodytes could join the army while Zax had to weasel his way in. Fortunately after his rise in fame, people accepted him more, but Zax knew that most tieflings were not so lucky. In all of Lower Lueders Zax considered himself one of the three most famous. The other two being the despised Lady Nayra and the brutal gladiator Insector. He guessed from Petrus's reaction , he came from a society that regarded tieflings as some sort of vile monster. Despite his barely hidden revulsion, Zax didn't let prejudice get in the way of profit. He could work with this man, as long as it meant gold for him.

"I think a few more wagons won't hurt. ", said Zax.

Petrus nodded,"I'll make the changes then. ". Apparently Petrus had the same thought.

Zax smiled, more gold for him, and if there was a fight, more people to add to the confusion while he escaped.


	4. Chapter 4

"Are they ...more evil then Freiki?", asked the blue hair girl inquisitively.

"Yes...",replied the large half elf in an irritated voice.

"Are they...more evil then Uncle Baal ?", continued the girl as she played with her hair. Her long claw like fingers twirled around her hair accidentally revealing short twisted horns. She didn't seem to mind though, there was no one around to notice.

"No...of course not", sighed Sarin. Uncle Baal or Baalphzon radiated one of the most evil auras he had ever encountered. The most evil of course was the hag queen Myleka. Sarin would have destroyed her "uncle" if he could, but it was beyond his power.

"Are they...more evil then your girl friend?" , giggled Sharliss.

Sarin blinked, he was expecting more mindless chatter from the young woman, but the last question threw him off guard. "Girlfriend? I don't have a girlfriend. Who are you talking about?", asked the half elf.

"Aunt Dahana of course! ", teased the tiefling girl.

"I went on one date with her...I didn't even realize what she was till afterwards. ", sputtered the half elf, getting more annoyed with the girls comments.

"But you're a paladin! You should have been able to detect evil or something.", laughed Sharliss.

Sarin grew red, his chins seemed to vibrate in anger,"How was I suppose to know she's a hunter devil , I thought she was just some celestial with black wings, who hangs out with your "sister" . Look...half your whole wacky family and their buddies radiate evil. Some due to their blood or heritage, others ...well who knows. I just know their a mad bunch. ...crazier then House Thrune of Cheliax, probably nuttier then the D'ambersville of Averigoine. "

Sharliss smiled and kicked her feet out happily while staring at the paladin. She acted like the cat who ate the canary. The paladin in return , continued watching the dark mountain. The tiefling tried to gain the half elf's attention but Sarin ignored her.

"You know...", continued the tiefling , but the half elf paid her no attention.

Sharliss was annoyed but just raised her voice, "You know... you're more a member of that "whole wacky family", then I am. I'm just adopted. While you're one of father's long lost grandsons. He has a knack of finding obscure relatives, you now. "

Sarin's concentration was finally broken by the last comment, "He's not my grandfather. He's just some guy, who's the father of some other guy who had an affair with my mother years ago. Any relationship we have is purely coincidental.", growled the half elf.

Sharliss feigned disappointment at the paladin's statement. "Don't be like that. Fetch is a good hearted person. I would think a knight like yourself would love to have a patron like him. He's the high cleric of Rawk, gods fear his passing, demons do his bidding."

Sarin shot her a disapproving look , "You sound like that Zax idiot , you silly girl. Despite his virtues, we both know Fetch is an idiot. He's a half rate hero that stumbles through one adventure after another. He would have been dead if it weren't for the company he keeps. For Linel's sake girl, the man doesn't even know what a feat is , or what his god looks like or represents. "

"So mean!", said the girl , enjoying the game once again. "He has a big heart, and endless courage. That's all that is important to me."

"A big heart eh? Do tieflings find big hearted souls tastier?", chuckled the half elf.

Sharliss seemed genuinely shocked at the paladin's last comment. She folded her arms and fumed in silence.

"So ...are they more evil then Aunt Dahana?", she said at last in a serious tone.

"1 is 3 aren't. " , said Sarin with a frown, "That's what worries me."

The girl considered his statement. "So 1 greater outsider, and 3 other evil presences who are greater then a lesser fiendish creature."

"Yeah, that's my guess. One of them have been following us for awhile now. About a day after we left Helamar. It seems to be a scout, since its rendezvous with his fellows. ", said Sarin grimly. "I think this caravan has too many guards for them to attack outright, but there are too many wagons, they might attempt to pick off stragglers, or abduct a few merchants."

"You're going after them tonight , aren't you?" asked Sharliss timidly. Despite her teasing and his annoyance at her, she worried about her guardian. "Maybe you should tell the others? Maybe Zax or the Kirgi guy could help."

Sarin chuckled,"Those guys are fools. Money hungry fools . We would have been better off striking off on our own. I'm going to warn them , but I won't ask for their help to hunt our stalkers down. They would only get in the way."

Sharliss agreed. The pair continued to ride on their wagon for a few minutes in silence. Then the tiefling finally spoke. "Can I come? I have spells now. I won't get in the way. I can help." She knew his answer already, but she had to ask.

The half elf smiled, and grasped her head in one meaty hand and messed up her hair. It seemed inappropriate for him to do that to a young woman, but she was still a little girl to him. "Of course not. You'll stay with the wagon. Hide in your little world if you have to."

The tiefling sighed, "Take Freiki at least?"

Sarin nodded, he could use some help , but he would not endanger Sharliss . Her pet thought, would suffice.

Sharliss smiled as the half elf accepted her last suggestion. "One more thing...are they ...more evil then me?", she asked with a grin.

"So far so good.", thought Zax as he rode his horse around the caravan. Halvor was correct , this job was pretty easy. All he was required to do , was to throw his name around to attract merchants to the caravan, and to ride around to placate them with his presence. All the hard work was done by the others. Zax wasn't completely useless though. His skills as an animal handler and an informal diplomat made him "seem" useful to the expedition.

The trip to Heldann was relatively straightforward , save for a few cheering crowds. The caravans through the once busy town had stopped in the last year. The idea that the pass through to Grom City was once again open brought hope to the people of the border town.

In the short time he had been in the caravan , Zax had gotten to known some of his companions and fellow travelers. Although Halvor appeared to be a northern knight, in reality he was just a local wannabe that aspired to knighthood. From Veb or some other backwater he heard. Zax wasn't sure his exact combat capabilities, but he was skilled at the administration duties of the caravan.

Petrus was definitely a soldier of some sort. He had that military air to him that Zax recognized from his own time in the army. Technically he was still in the military reserves, but the tiefling applied a prodigious use of gifts and grafts to avoid his duty. While Halvor ran the caravan, Petrus was in charge of the small day to day details. He set up the watches, distributed supplies , and rounded up the stragglers . As well as being a soldier , Petrus appeared to have some sort of magical skill as well. Zax saw him summon forth an armored ebony skin woman on occasion to do some heavy lifting for him. Judging from its fierce warlike appearance, the tiefling was sure it was used for more then just manual labor.

Zax saw little of Kirgi, he saw him briefly in the morning but afterwards he was normally up ahead scouting . That was fine with Zax though, although he found Kirgi's company pleasant, dwarves in general were people that the tiefling shunned. There was no telling when he would grab an axe and go on a "horn hunt".

Most of the travelers were very receptive to Zax. Most signed up , based solely on the false presumption that the tiefling would save them from harm. Zax knew better though. That's why he made sure he took his fastest horse. If there was any real danger, he would be the first to make a run for it. Hopefully the slower wagons would provide a distraction to any pursuers. Most were merchants, there were 2 families that wished to relocate to Grom city, and a strange curious couple. The couple appeared to be minor nobles of some sort, a fat half elf and an odd blue haired girl. He wasn't sure if they were a couple or siblings. Zax forgot the half elf's name, but gave him the nickname of "Chins" for obvious reasons. The girl, Sharliss, waved at him constantly when his horse approach, she claimed she met him before, but that was a common occurrence for Zax. As a celebrity and hero, he was use to such associations. He probably passed her on the road once, and this star struck fan instantly took that as some sort of bond . Not that Zax minded the attention. From her appearance, the girl was obviously rich and was probably the most attractive woman in the caravan. If she wasn't constantly at Chin's side, he probably would have attempted to woo her.

As the tiefling mused over the fetching young woman, he noticed that the half elf was not present . "Perfect! ", he thought. "Now's my chance to show her my charm."

Zax rode up to the young girl's wagon . The dark dressed beauty smiled at his approach. Zax returned the smile and was about to say something witty but a familiar voice interrupted his efforts.

"Lord Zax ! Come quick! ", cried Kirgi.

Zax inwardly frowned at the dwarf , but showed a smile instead."Kirgi! Good to see you. How goes your patrols?" , the tiefling said , ignoring the dwarf's distress.

Kirgi shook his head,"Terrible! We have to find Petrus and Halvor right away!"

The dwarf's voice seemed to cause whispers amongst the rest of the caravan. Zax waved at them to settle them down and knew something was wrong. He quickly followed the dwarf as they rode to the front of the caravan to meet with Halvor and Petrus.

"What's this all about?", asked Petrus coolly. He made a patting motion to indicate to the dwarf to quiet down.

Kirgi understood and took a second to compose himself. "We're being followed . Four dozen or so humanoids, they scamper off when I try to approach them though. Could be goblins or maybe kobolds. "

Petrus nodded , "The half elf was correct after all, he told me that there was evil presences in the mountains near us. "

Halvor scratched his head, "Four dozen huh? That's a lot of critters. Why don't they attack.", the knight asked , oblivious to the danger they represent.

"Lots of monsters?", repeated Zax. This wasn't what he was expecting. He was expecting a couple or half a dozen at the most, not 50. He wondered if now was a good time to run away.

Petrus shrugged, "Perhaps they are awaiting for more reinforcements , or more likely they doubt their ability to defeat us. I am assuming they are hoping for stragglers to ambush."

Kirgi nodded, "We scouted this area fairly well last time , I don't think there's too many more goblins or kobolds to join them in this region. Assuming they are goblins, they might attack us anyways. Their courage is fleeting, but they are a pretty stupid bunch. "

Halvor smiled,"Maybe they need to be deterred a bit more directly. Maybe we should just give them what they want."

Petrus and Kirgi both returned their leaders grin and stared at the tiefling. Zax didn't notice their gazes as he was too busy contemplating how best to run away.

Zax hated this plan, but he saw no opportunity to escape. At least not immediately. He considered hiding in his wagon and feigning sickness but that would probably be futile . He envisioned the big knight dragging him out kicking and screaming. Riding his horse away was also out of the question. At least for now. There was no way Zax would run deeper into the mountains and the goblins were blocking his exit behind him. Zax knew if he was to run , it would have to be during an attack. He needed something major to distract the beasts and his companions.

The tiefling sat glumly in the wagon. The plan seemed plausible enough. Their wagon would go slower then the others. It was easy enough to tie a piece of wood to a wheel to slow its progress. It would pretend to breakdown in a clearing , and then the guards would pretend to shortly debate on whether to leave the "wounded". Zax would protest and stay with the wagon to fix it. Hopefully attracting the goblins or kobolds or whatever the critters are to attack. Unknown to their attackers, Halvor and company would be waiting for the attack from cover. It seemed like a good idea to the tiefling except the part where he would have to play the helpless merchant.

Petrus assured him it would be safe. Infact he even had his summoned servant accompany him to play the role as his wife. An eidolon or something. Zax thought the summoner would have been a better husband, but Halvor was worried about exposing the magician to attacks. The tieflings inflated reputation however made him an unlikely choice to be the bait for the ambush.

The tiefling weighed his options carefully. He still had some potions he might be able to use. Would it be better to use them now? Run from his comrades and bear the weight of shame? Or use it later and slip away in the heat of the battle. The plan seemed workable, but there was no guarantee their pursuers would attack. They could most likely evade them and attack the main caravan , it was their territory after all. If he slipped away now, he was still stuck in the middle of this god forsaken monster land. The best case scenario would be if his comrades won, and Zax remained hidden and out of danger in the fray. He would emerge at the end, splash some blood on himself, perhaps clubbing a wounded goblin to show his prowess and no one would be the wiser . Except perhaps the eidolon creature.

Zax wondered how much the creature was aware of its surroundings. Zax has seen summoned creatures in the army before. Celestial dogs, and fiendish wolves were most commonly used. They appeared to be canines but they really weren't . They didn't behave or act like real animals at all. The tiefling wondered if maybe this eidolon creature of Petrus would behave the same way.

"So...nice weather, we're having.", asked Zax coyly trying to evoke a response.

The black skin woman , remained emotionless as it sat next to him in the decoy wagon. Despite the spare clothing given to her , she was clearly not human. Although at a distance her ruse would suffice. Zax heard that some humanoids had poor day vision, maybe his pursuers were one of them.

"Hello? Anyone there?", said Zax hoping for another non response. If he was correct, then his plan could succeed. This creature was clearly created for battle, and it seemed unlikely it would "rat" him out to his comrades .

The eidolon remained quiet and the tiefling breathed a sigh of relief. So far so good. First sign of trouble he would drink one these potions he bought. He had several utility escape elixirs he purchased . Some that would render him invisible, some that changed his appearance , others that let him levitate. A simple invisibility potion should suffice.

"Money well spent", thought Zax smugly, as he recalled the volume discount he managed to negotiate with that nice alchemist Dimitri. The merchant had such a wide selection and competitive prices, he wondered why he wasn't busier.

Zax noticed they had entered the clearing Kirgi had indicated to him to stop at. He saw no signs of where Halvor and the others were hiding, and briefly considered to continue .

"No , better stick to the plan.", the tiefling thought. At least stick to his own plan, Zax chuckled nervously.

The wagon stopped as plan, and Zax cautiously exited the wagon to examine the wheel. He cursed as he began waving to the wagon infront of him to stop. The other merchant played his part and yelled for him to abandon the wagon , but Zax protested that he would exact repairs soon. He would catch up with them shortly. Some guards yelled at him to rejoin the group, but Zax paid them no heed. All according to plan.

"You're a good actor.", said the Eidilon coolly.

"Thanks. ", smiled Zax. A second later his blood ran cold. The creature beside him was more sentient then he realized.

"Err...you play the merchant's wife role well . Forgive me, we haven't been properly introduced. I am Zax , Zax the humble hero, and you are ...miss? .", the tiefling said with a bow. Zax was caught unprepared but the quick thinking tiefling didn't show his surprise. The creature was definitely feminine , maybe he could use the old charm on her , or at least position her between the monsters and himself. If she fell in battle , it didn't matter if she would blab to her master.

"Adria.", the creature replied while scanning the terrain behind them. Although obviously intelligent, it definitely wasn't behaving like a human or even humanoid, at least to Zax's experiences. It showed little to no emotion and the tiefling can tell it seemed detached to her surroundings.

"BRREEEEEEE YARRRRRKKKK!", screamed an army of voices , shattering Zax's thoughts. The tiefling's blood froze, as he looked and saw what looked like a hundred goblins emerge from the terrain behind them. Zax had seen goblins in the army before, but only when they were dead or prisoners. The benefits of working supply. He never faced one in battle.

"Screw this, Halvor and his gang can be goblin food for all I care.", he thought to himself. He was going to wait to see how the battle fared, but his plan accelerated in the face of this horde of creatures. He quickly uncorked his potion and drank the bubbly concoction. He smiled and waited to turn invisible , he looked at his hand and saw no change.

"Hmm, maybe when you're invisible you can see yourself.", he thought curiously.

A goblin ran straight at him, with its make shift blade ready.

"Strange...that goblin is acting like it can see me.", he thought with growing nervousness.

Before the beast could impale him, Adria smashed its head sideways with her ebony fists. The creature's neck snapped instantly as it cartwheeled like a rag doll away from her side blow.

Adria stared at Zax, seemingly oblivious to his invisibility."Time to earn your keep, hero."


	5. Chapter 5

The goblins surged forward, one hundred, possibly two hundred of the ravenous beasts. A particularly large and brutish beast strode ahead of the pack. It raised an over sized stone axe as it lead the charge.

Zax moved like lightning. He effortlessly pulled his dragon golem from his belt, and blasted the lead monster in the face. The shot was perfectly aimed and it impacted the beast in the nose. Despite the power of the weapon, the creature did not fall , a bit staggered but still standing.

Zax drew a rapier in one hand and his Grom club in the other and rushed to meet his injured foe. An elegant thrust into the heart of the goblin chieftain was all it took to finish the creature off.

Despite their leaders death, the goblin horde was too stupid or were in too much of a frenzy to stop. The second biggest goblin hacked at Zax, but the tiefling parried its blow with his club, before countering with an attack to its head. The tiefling's rapier quickly withdrew from its current victim and flashed again at the third biggest goblin . The goblin jumped back from the attack, and smiled. It had evaded Zax's attack. Or so it thought. A crimson line suddenly emerged on his neck. As the creature fell , it suddenly realized that its throat had been severed by the razor like rapier of the tiefling.

"SHRIEEK!", cried Adria as she found herself overwhelmed and surrounded by the goblins. The eidolon was perfectly capable of handling 1 or 2 goblins at a time, but her unearthly calm was shattered by the horde of goblins surrounding her.

Although Zax would have preferred hunting the 4th biggest goblin of the horde down, his gentleman's instincts kicked in. He back flipped away from his attackers and landed next to the ebony beauty. His sudden appearance surprised the dark skinned woman's attackers. Before they could recover, half of their heart's were pierced or their skulls cracked.

Adria blushed at her rescuer but before she could show him her appreciation, a massive wolf entered the fray.

Zax knew it was a dire wolf of some sort, most likely of the fiendish or maybe half dragon variety. It was the size of a horse , and it pounced towards the tiefling . Zax scooped the stunned eidolon with his club arm , and he hopped backwards with practiced ease. The wolf smashed into some goblins but paid no heed to their shattered bodies. It howled in frustration, as the tiefling began stitching its side with rapid thrusts from his rapier.

The wolf spun to meet his prey, but realized too late that their roles had reversed. The tiefling was no stag to be hunted, it was the hunter and the wolf was the hunted.

A swift kick to the lower jaw stunned the wolf, as the tiefling's rapier buried itself through the skull of the monster. Dire wolfs were known to have bones as hard as iron, but the tiefling's trained steel like muscles shattered its defenses. The creature roared in pain briefly but it crashed into the ground lifeless before Zax.

* * *

><p>"SHRIEEEEK!", screamed Zax as he flailed at the dead dog.<p>

"I know you're suppose to be acting like a merchant but you can stop screaming now.", said Adria , while she was wiping the blood from her fists.

Zax realized the attack was over, almost as quickly as it began. The tiefling surveyed the battlefield. The enemy consisted of eight goblins with a brace of odd looking dogs. The goblins upon closer inspection were armed with crude makeshift weapons, and wore scraps of hide instead of proper armor. The dogs were an odd breed that the tiefling hadn't encountered before, something called a goblin dog he thought. Weaker then a wardog, but more ferocious then a poodle. He recalled from his army training, their greatest attack was their ability to sometimes provoke an allergic reaction to those that they bite.

Zax vaguely recalled the order of battle. His potion hadn't worked, then he was forced to use his dragon golem. The dragon golem misfired, then he fumbled for his rapier and club . After that he wasn't sure what happened. He just remembered screaming like a little girl as the goblins closed in on him.

Fortunately for him, Adria was there. She had dispatched 3 of the attackers. While Halvor and company dispatched the rest from their prepared positions with missile fire. None of the attackers survived the ambush.

Kirgi was the first to reach the wagon. Zax wasn't sure how the dwarf got here ahead of everyone but assumed the head strong youth probably broke cover first. "This is no good.", the dwarf said while shaking his head.

Petrus soon followed, " Correct. They suspected an ambush and sent this fodder at us to test our defenses. A classic probe maneuver. They know that we know they're out there. The next attack won't be so easy."

Halvor and a half dozen archers were the last to arrive. "True, but at least that's 8 less goblins to worry about. A good victory to start our expedition I think. " The archers nodded at their leader's assessment of the battle. All they knew was that 8 of their foes lied dead, while none of them were journeying to Rawk's halls.

Kirgi shrugged, " Killing goblins don't seem like the start of a grand adventure to me. Look at these guys, barely any armor and make shift weapons. They didn't even have the "feared" goblin bow. ", said the dwarf. During their nightly gatherings Kirgi had explained goblin bows were feared not because of their accuracy or deadliness, but because it allowed goblins to attack from a skirmish position. In a straight up fight, goblins were ineffective, but in a skirmish battle in their home terrain was a different matter.

Petrus nodded with a chuckle, " How cliched, starting a grand adventurer by killing goblins. At least it wasn't rats in a cellar or bandits or kidnappers."

Halvor surveyed the dead, "Good work Zax. That was some pretty good acting there. You sure drew those goblins in with your hysterical screaming. If they knew they were dealing with Zax the Hag slayer, they probably would have ran for it. "

Zax had settled his breathing while the others were discussing the carnage. He recovered his wits enough to smirk and nod at the big knight. Despite his previous panic, at least his companions didn't realize his cowardice and at least he didn't soil his breeches. "I might have over done it there, but the result was what I hoped for. I could have taken them out all by myself, but I wanted to see what the rest of you were capable of. Next fight , I'll show them my true power. ", he said with cool reservation.

"3 cheers for the Hag Slayer Zax!", cried his fellows.

The 3 companions admired the hero amongst them. Even the normally passive Petrus seemed impressed with the confidence of the tiefling.

Adria for her part was silent . She seemed satisfied to just stand there atop the goblins she had slain with her fists.

"Hate to disappoint you , but there won't be anymore attacks. The enemy knows we're ready for them. They'll probably wait for easier prey.", admitted Halvor reluctantly. The big knight did not hide the fact, he wanted to see Zax in action.

"HAG SLAYER!", roared a deep voice echoing through the mountains.

The small group all stopped as a cold chill ran through them. Even the other worldly Adria paused at the roar. The booming voice seemed impossibly loud and echoed through out the mountains.

"HAG SLAYER! LONG HAVE I HOPED YOU WOULD VENTURE INTO MY MOUNTAINS. I CHALLENGE YOU TO FACE ME! ", continued the voice.

Kirgi's eyes narrowed and he pointed to a nearby mountain. The remaining goblins he spotted earlier were clearly visibly, along with several dozen reinforcements. They sported dark armor and blades , and seemed ready for war. The goblins however were not his concern. A large hideous white furred giantess stood defiantly at their head.

"I CHALLENGE THE HAG SLAYER TO SINGLE COMBAT ! TO AVENGE THE DEATH OF THE AVATAR OF OUR GODDESS! ", roared the 15 foot tall monster .

Adria turned to Zax,"That would be you, I'm assuming.", said the ebony skinned woman impassively.

* * *

><p>Sarin had snuck away from the caravan in the morning, he had a hearty breakfast, but was cursing himself for not packing a proper lunch. 2 lemming sandwiches, a bag of moss flakes, and 4 strips of caribou jerky was just not enough for his sturdy frame. The large half elf stopped as a growl came from his belly .<p>

The wolf Freiki stopped when he heard the rumbling. Sarin wondered if it was proper to call it a wolf. The paladin had fought dire wolves before, but this was the biggest specimen he had ever encountered. To his experience dire wolves were nasty evil creatures, they delighted in tormenting their prey and ambushing the weak and elderly. To add to the beast's fearsome powers , the paladin was convinced it was a fiendish or even a half fiend variety. Despite its heritage, Freiki's behavior was more akin to a big shaggy dog. Shar told him it wasn't her wolf, but she was keeping it till her friend Trip returned. Her father shook his head, and told Sarin in private that this Trip person died in the great battle a year ago , but the young Sharliss seemed convinced that he would return. Not that it really mattered, the wolf responded to her commands , and strangely enough to his as well.

The giant wolf sniffed the grumbling half elf's belly and panted happily. The half elf could see it was clearly amused at his suffering.

"Shut it you flea bag, or I'm gonna have rack of wolf ribs for dinner.", huffed the paladin.

The wolf licked the half elfs face in response to the threat. Sarin pushed it back, even though the giant beast was clearly stronger then him. The paladin knew the big wolf was just playing around, and despite the dangerous area they were in, he was happy to indulge it for a little while.

Suddenly the wolf stopped and crouched low. It straightened and aimed its snout at a cluster of rocks ahead and below them.

Sarin nodded and was glad they took the long detour to get behind their foes. It was a time consuming journey but at least Freiki's ability to cloak the area around him in darkness made their progress easy. The half elf let his vision drift and he detected 3 of the lesser presences he sensed earlier. The greater evil aura was not amongst them.

The paladin had hoped to use his smiting power to slay or at least incapacitate the greater evil, but he was still amiable to the current situation. If anything , Sarin was practical. Slaying the monsters separately would probably be easier . Which suited the half elf fine.

Sarin and Freiki crept forward to gain a better vantage of their foes. Despite both of their large sizes the duo was surprisingly adept at sneaking. Sarin assumed his elven heritage had something to do with his skill , and guessed Freiki's natural hunting instincts helped his companion.

As they approached, Sarin could hear screeching and the sounds of battle. He wasn't sure what was happening, but the wolf and the paladin both accelerate their advance.

As they reached the rocks, the half elf saw a hooded woman wearing a dark cloak finish off a long haired beautiful woman with an efficient strike with a scimitar. The long hair woman was dressed in what could only be described as chain mail undergarments. Her back was already periced by several arrows, when the scimitar bit deeply into her unarmored stomach . The scantily dressed beauty eyes bulged as she realized the blow was fatal. The slain woman shrieked as she fell to the ground, changing into a hideous green colored hag as she landed. Two more scantily dressed women howled at the death of their sister and set upon the cloaked figure. The cloak woman easily evaded one, and seemed intent on retreating from the fray. The cloaked woman moved with great skill and grace. Despite their prey's nimbleness, one of the attacking women managed to claw her prey with long dark fingernails. It was just a scratch to the leg but the cloaked woman staggered from the attack.

"Poison .", thought Sarin. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew who he was going to help. He assumed the other 2 scantitly dressed women were hags as well. Sarin was almost killed by a hag about a year ago , and he had no love for the creatures. The paladin gripped his spear and charged the creatures. Freiki howled as he followed then overtook the half elf.

* * *

><p>"How do I find myself in these messes?", Zax thought nervously to himself. The giantess had clearly indicated that she wished to do battle with the tiefling, and his traitorous companions promptly obliged her. Sure...they acted all supportive and confident in his ability to triumph, but they were all secretly conspiring against him.<p>

Halvor was suppose to be a knight, he was suppose to accept these duels and challenges.

Petrus had magical powers, he could blast her or something with ease.

Kirgi was a troll a slayer. A giant is a type of troll right? This should be his fight.

Even the guardsmen were all shouting encouragement at him. He wanted to push one forward and make him take his spot, but he knew that would just end up badly for him. Most likely he would be on the fist end of a beating. Not that he was not use to being beaten by a rioting mob, as a tiefling he had his fair share of mob justice. He hadn't experienced it in a while, and he meant to keep it that way.

"I'll have that giant begging for mercy soon enough!", he said to his adoring fans while hiding his terror. Zax had a plan, a very risky plan, but with proper timing he could make it work. He asked Kirgi to accompany him, to make sure the duel was legit. Just before the duel will start, Zax planned to push the dwarf from behind to face the giant. Hopefully the two would start fighting right away. Zax would use another potion of invisibility and run back to the camp. He would tell them how the bad guys went back on their word and slew Kirgi from ambush. Even if Kirgi and the giant didn't fight, the tiefling was sure he could out run a dwarf. With a giant and 50 goblins at his back, he doubt his buddy Kirgi could survive and refute his story.

"You're the bravest guy I ever met , Mr. Zax. I hope I could pick up some pointers watching you fight.", beamed Kirgi . "I've fought a troll before and barely won, beating a giant one on one is in a totally different class by itself. That's like Sir Frank or Commander Ymir heroic."

Zax nodded and almost felt bad he would be sacrificing his number one fan. Almost ...that was the key word. The tiefling liked the dwarf but there was no way he was going to face a giant by himself. If there was someway he could escape he would have taken it, but the fact they were in enemy territory and the enemies were targeting him specifically meant he had to use drastic measures.

He knew the caravan was no match for the giant and the growing army of goblins, however he was pretty sure they would thin the attackers numbers significantly before they were overwhelmed. In the confusion he would hop on his horse and hopefully flee to safety. It wasn't a great plan , but better then the duel awaiting him.

Zax and Kirgi made their way to the spot designated by the giant.

"Looks like they've kept their side of the deal. Are you sure you want me here? It'll look bad if he shows up solo and you bring a buddy.", asked Kirgi.

Zax shook his head,"Trust me Kirgi, if you've fought enough giants as I have, you would know they're no good backstabbing cowards, who are only concerned with their own hide. I'm sure they'll have a surprise for us. I just want you here, to deter them if they consider anything funny."

"I hope your confidence in me isn't misplaced.", admitted the dwarf. He was honored to be chosen to watch Zax's back, but wondered if he was up to the task.

Before Zax could reply , heavy foot steps shook the clearing they stood in. A hideous misshapen white furred giantess appeared out of thin air. Zax knew it would be impossible for such a big creature to hide, the tiefling knew magic was involved.

"ZAX HAGSLAYER! MY DARK MISTRESSES SEETHES AT YOUR NAME AND DEMAND YOUR HEAD FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST THE CULT OF ARCTURUS!", roared the giant.

Kirgi appeared confused,"Wait..I thought the legends said you slew the Avatar of Myleka. I didn't know you defeated the avatar of Arcturus as well."

The dwarf scratched his head for a second, "Well I guess that makes sense. Who else can slay an avatar but you in the city. Well this should be a piece of cake for you sir!"

As Kirgi talked, Zax took the time to get behind Kirgi and suddenly shoved the dwarf from behind.

"Cut it out! That tickles. This is no time for horse play!", giggled the dwarf from the unexpected show of affection from Zax. Despite his efforts, the tiefling was unable to budge the sturdy and stable dwarf. The dwarf twisted a bit, and Zax flew forwards towards the giant.

"Crap!", thought Zax as he stopped his advance suddenly. He reached for his invisibility potion and drank the vial hastily. Unfortunately no effect appeared. Zax began wondering if any of the potions he bought at Dimitri's would work.

The tiefling began to run , "I can still outrun Kirgi back to camp." , he was hoping some goblins would be here to shoot the dwarf but even if his companion made his way back to camp, Zax hoped that he would be on his riding horse and swiftly running away. Before he could enact his plan, a towering sheet of ice sprang before the dwarf and the tiefling. The wall seemed to curve, and Zax realized that it formed a hemisphere with the tiefling and the giant inside of it.

"ITS JUST YOU AND ME AND A WORLD OF PAIN NOW, YOU LITTLE ORANGE RAT!", roared the giantess as it charged at Zax with an ornate bladed staff.

* * *

><p>The cloaked woman stumbled, her leg clearly paralyzed or disabled by the disguised hag's attack. She raised her scimitar to block the hag's attack, but the woman slapped the blade away. Unfortunately for the hag, it was just a diversion. The cloaked woman slammed a dagger with her other hand into the creature's side. It buried itself up to the hilt, but the creature didn't seemed slowed by the attack. It smiled cruelly as a delicate hand wrapped itself around her victims shoulder. Effortlessly it picked up the limping woman and slammed her into the solid ground .<p>

It cackled in triumph but its victory was short lived. 1000lbs of abysall wolf slammed into the hag from behind. Although it was incredibly strong for its size, the hags strength was no match for the giant wolf. The other hag turned to face the new attacker, but a spear bit deeply into its shoulder. Holy power burned the hag as it howled it pain.

Sarin's hag almost instantaneously reverted to its true hideous form. An 8 foot tall green crone with wild hair , with long arms, and deadly black claws. It ignored the grievous wound the paladin had inflicted on her, and swiped at him with its long reach. Sarin pushed his spear forward. Both unbalancing his opponent and lengthening the distance between them. The hags deadly claws missed the paladin's face by inches, but the half elf gave no indication he was concerned. Sarin twisted and withdrew his spear, causing almost as much damage to the hag as he did when he first struck. The hag howled again , and fell to its knees in pain. The paladin effortlessly thrusted his spear past the hag, then hooked the back of her neck with his spear. A sudden jerk backwards toppled the monster. It laid stunned as it sprawled on the ground . It cursed in a dozen tongues at once, but was quickly silenced by a spear strike in the back. The large paladin used his impressive weight to press down into the dense hag's flesh. The monster thrashed horribly as it realized it was pinned and had little chance to escape.

Freiki shook the hag he had caught in his teeth vigorously. Despite the size difference, the hag slashed and bit back at the wolf with equal ferocity. The paired rolled on the hard stone ground , as each combatant tried to seize the advantage. Even though Freiki was stronger and larger, the long limbed hag was clearly more skilled at wrestling. After a vicious struggle, the hag managed to snake behind onto the wolf's back. It had transformed and its long sinewy arms were wrapped around Freiki's neck. It ignored the terrible bite and claw wounds the wolf had inflicted on her, and squeezed her prey's neck. It cackled into the wolf's ear ,taunting her victim with what it would do to its corpse after he died.

The hag's victory was short lived however, as a strong hand gripped the dagger embedded in her side. The dagger was yanked backwards, tearing the hag's flesh as it exited. The creature released her grip on the wolf, as it staggered backwards holding her wound. Before it could mount another attack, a scimitar flashed across her eyes. The hag tried to retreat backwards but the blade still managed to strike her face. The green woman collapsed from the shock of the blow and her mounting wounds. It gasped something in its foul tongue, but Freiki was once again upon it . Shaking and slamming the creature till its body hung lifeless in its jaws.

Sarin had finished off his pinned opponent effortlessly, and rumbled towards the wolf. The battle was over and the cloaked woman stood , weapon in hand eying the half elf warily. She was still wobbling on her feet but produced a small vial from her belt. She ingested the vial and strength seemed to seep back into her injured limbs. She sat down on a rock , realizing she was too tired and injured to battle the half elf.

The woman took off her hood, revealing short blond hair and a tired but youthful face, "Thank you for the help. Nymk of the plains at your service.", she said with labored breath.

* * *

><p>Kirgi wasn't sure what to expect. One moment Zax was giving him an oddly timed back massage. The next his hero was inside a wall of ice. The giant obviously made this barrier , but was it to keep people out or Zax in? Kirgi could not see past the opaque barrier. He was told you could hack your way past this barrier, but he didn't want to interfere with his friend's duel. He was sure if he was in the same situation his companions would extend him the same courtesy.<p>

Although he could only hear muffled cries and can only see moving shadows, he was sure there was alot of activity inside the barrier. It looked like a small shadow was being pursued by a larger shadow. The two shadows seemed locked in a never ending chase inside the hemisphere.

Kirgi considered it was the giant chasing Zax around the icy cage, but quickly dispelled the foolish thought. He recalled a bit of lore that tieflings can control shadows, surely it was just Zax using his magic on the creature. Satisfied with his explanation the dwarf waited patiently for the duel to end. One eye on the icy fortress, the other on possible goblins creeping up.

After a few minutes, Kirgi noticed the big shadow had vanished. So was the pathetic sounds of muffled screams. He couldn't make out the exact words, but Kirgi thought it odd that the large giantess screamed like a scared little girl. The dwarf thought it odd that hideous harpies could charm people as well . Kirgi just chalked it up to another strange magical anomaly in his strange world.

There wasn't any movement inside the barrier . The battle was clearly over, but the icy walls still stood. Kirgi was confident Zax was triumphant, but there was still a twinge of doubt in his mind. If the giant won, she would have dispelled the barrier immediately. If Zax won , he was still probably trapped in the barrier, and had to wait till the spell ran its course. That seemed plausible to the dwarf, unless the giant won and was doing hideous things to Zax's body. Mutilating it, eating it...or worse. Such was the fate of adventurers, Kirgi thought grimly.

After a few minutes, the barrier vanished into thin air. Kirgi breathed a sighed of relief as Zax kneeled over his fallen foe. Kirgi expected the tiefling to be victorious but hadn't expect Zax to emerge unscathed. The dwarf's respect for Zax suddenly doubled at such a heroic accomplishment.

Zax waved the dwarf towards him, "Kirgi , give me a hand here."

Kirgi complied, and suddenly noticed that besides tuffs of white fur, there was no signs of the horrible misshapen giantess. Instead there was only a small girl with white hair in ornate armor laying on the ground.

Kirgi paused and recognized the ornate armor the girl wore was similar to the set the giant wore. "Err...is that the giant? How?", the dwarf asked.

Zax shrugged. He considered an elaborate embellished replied, but he was too tired to make one up."It was the giant, and I have no idea what happened."

* * *

><p>Nymk was nervous about allowing the half fiend to treat her wounds. She had read her file awhile ago, and it indicated she was the benign adopted daughter of the Warmaster, but years of battling demons had made her distrustful of all things demonic . Despite the half fiends innocent appearance, the swords woman still kept her guard up.<p>

"Oh stop being such a baby. Shar knows what shes doing.", vouched the large half elf. The paladin and the giant wolf had helped the injured swords woman back to the caravan. No one noticed their presence , since most of the guards were diverted to a possible skirmish with goblins in the rear and Freiki's ability to cloak himself in darkness.

"Its all right Sar.", replied Sharliss," She saw through my disguise, and is understandably nervous about my nature.". The young woman with the light blue hair and the black dress brushed back her hair and reveled twisted horns.

"She's being remarkably restrained in my opinion. I seemed to recall our first meeting. You tried to kill me if I recall !", the girl giggled as the paladin grew red.

Nymk relaxed at the injection of humor and relaxed a bit. The young girl nodded and began weaving spells on her wounds. The swords woman noticed the half fiend wielded a symbol of Koryis the god of healing and wisdom . Nymk would normally have kept quiet about the observation, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Excuse me, but aren't you Hush? The daughter of the Warmaster?"

"Oh , you've heard of me! I'm famous!", she pointed to herself with a light laugh. "Yes my name is Hush , but only my father and mother use that these days. I prefer Sharliss , it sounds more grown up.", she said with a wink.

"Isn't your father the high priest of Rawk? ",asked Nymk.

"Oh...my religious orientation. Yes he is the high priest of Rawk, but I don't believe in war . Sister Wayland rescued me and raised me in the orphanage . I find her god's philosophical teachings more in tune with my goals. I love my father, but I can't follow a god that promotes war and violence. ", she answered with a smile. Then her face seemed puzzled and she place a finger on her chin,"Hmm...come to think of it...father doesn't really follow his gods teachings . I wonder how he reconciles that with his god."

"Its because he's an idiot , he doesn't understand his own god's teachings.", sighed Sarin

Nymk remained silent , unsure of what to make of the two. They had obviously helped her , maybe even saved her, but their presence here was unexpected . It was a wild card, and in her business, she regarded the unknown with a healthy dose of caution.

"Now ..what's your story? What were you doing in the mountains hunting hags?", demanded the half elf.

Nymk focused on the half elf, despite his oafish appearance he possessed a strong and penetrating gaze. A tingle of her foot and her shoulder caught her surprise, and she found that the girl had managed to heal her wounds.

"They were a coven , I only had to slay one to disrupt their power. I planned to escape as soon as I killed the first one. They were controlling a possessed giant of some type . I figured if I killed one hag, the other 2 would be greatly weakened and the giant freed from their control ", she blurted. Nymk was surprised she said anything at all, she sighed in resignation and attributed it to a combination of fatigue, her gratefulness to her rescuers, and the half elf's forceful glare.

"Well your lucky Freiki and I stumbled onto your little battle.", said Sarin smugly.

"Thank you.", said Nymk with down cast eyes. He was right. She was careless, and was almost overpowered by the hags. She wasn't sure if she was defeated before Sarin and the wolf aided her, but she knew the battle wasn't going her way.

"Don't pick on my patient! ", demanded Shar. " Look, your ego fueled boasting is making her feel sad. I'm sure she could have triumphed if you two didn't show up. She probably would have just been a bit more banged up. If anything you stole her kills and probably messed her battleplans.

"But...but...but...", the big half elf sputtered.

Nymk's cool demeanor broke and she couldn't help but to laugh at the pair. "You two are a cute couple. I won't impose upon you anymore. I thank you for your aid and wish you safety on your travels."

Sharliss and Sarin both stopped and grew red. They both turned towards Nymk and assaulted her with protests about their relationship.

"I'm her guardian...she's my step aunt...no way we're a couple...just escorting her to Grom City", said Sarin.

"I'm a quarter of his age...he's more an oafish uncle...I'm a young woman...he's a broken down old man... he's too chicken to take the boat to Grom City...going to continue my studies...no way we're a couple...", replied Sharliss.

Freiki whined and crawled his way into a hole in the covered wagon. Nymk wasn't sure , but suspected there was a dimensional portal in the cart. That was the only way such a large wolf could hide here without raising a panic amongst the other merchants.

Sharliss composed herself, "Look , I'm going to Grom City to study at the Great University. As you know, magical travel pass the Shattered or Broken Mountains is impossible , so it can only be reached by caravan or boat. Sarin insisted we couldn't take a boat due to the rumors of giant raiders, so we decided to travel in a caravan instead. "

"Okay..okay..I'm sorry for insinuating that you two are romantically linked. ", said the swords woman with a smile. "But I must really get going."

Sharliss placed her hand on Nymk's shoulder, and the young woman struggled to escape her strong grip. The half fiend was very strong, not as strong as a hag, but stronger then the swords woman. "I'm not letting you leave . You're still injured and we're in the middle of the Shattered Mountains. I won't discharge you till you're fully healed. Besides, you've been trailing this caravan haven't you? I won't inquire why...but wouldn't it be easier if you kept an eye on it from within?"

Nymk paused, surprised that the young girl deduced her intentions and even more shocked she wanted to facilitate her .

"Aren't you worried ...I'm up to something nefarious?", asked Nymk.

"Nah...Sarin can detect bad people. He won't hesitate to smack them around when he does.", she said with a wink .

Sarin rolled his eyes at the girl's comments." If she stays ...people will ask where she came from. I doubt she'll want to remain in your realm if her intention is to observe the caravan."

"That's easy. She can pretend to be my maid. People don't inquire much about us anyways. We'll make it seem that you've been hiding her to save on fees. People will believe that, because you come off as someone who's cheap.",laughed Shar at her protector.

Sarin began to protest, then sat down grumbling at her plan.

Nymk considered the plan , and agreed,"Thank you. I assure you that my goals will not pose a danger to any of you. "

Sharliss smiled at the swords woman. "Oh...I know they won't . I certainly do."


	6. Chapter 6

"I vote we kill her!", repeated Kirgi from inside the crowded wagon. The dwarf eyed the unconscious young girl warily. She was a slim , slightly built girl with white hair wearing over sized ornate blue and white armor. Kirgi thought she looked more at home in some girls school then leading a band of ravenous goblins. Despite her meek appearance, Kirgi knew she was dangerous.

"Listen Kirg...we aren't killing any unconscious women, she looks like she's 14 for Rawk's sake. ", refuted Halvor.

"For the last time, it's a giant! Sir Zax saw it transform. ", explained Kirgi with an annoyed tone in his voice.

"Hmm...it doesn't look like a giant. Aren't giants suppose to be ..like real big. The one we saw was covered in white fur and hideously misshapen. You know...one eye bigger then the other, covered in warts, ugly tusks, deformed breasts...this young girl is barely a teenager...she barely even has breasts!", replied Halvor . The knight was dismissive of the dwarf's vast knowledge of his race's ancient enemies, which seemed to annoy Kirgi even more.

Kirgi paused and took a few breaths to calm down, "Ok..let me explain this again. This is what my people call a giant wife. I know I know...its a generic term for magical giant woman. They are very rare, and even appear different then other giants. In ancient tales, gods and heroes have been seduced by their beauty and honeyed words, but do not fall in the same trap as they did. It always ended badly for them, giant wives are known to be loyal to their fellow giants first. The fact she can create walls of ice, change her appearance, and even shrink in size confirms my belief in my classification. "

Petrus who had been silent for most of the discussion interjected," Question. If she's really a giant, why did she shrink when Zax brought her down? If she employed a size changing spell that required concentration I would expect her to remain a giant if she was rendered senseless. Case in point, giant spriggans and duegars shrink eventually when knocked out. Its been an hour so far, and so far no change in size."

Zax nodded,"Just to clarify things, she shrank after she collapsed. So she's not under a previously casted spell."

Kirgi shrugged, "I don't know how magic works. Maybe its a special survival trait its developed. If you fell in battle wouldn't it be to your advantage if you shrank? Or maybe its a pygmy giant of some sort. I don't have all the answers. All I know is I can tell its a giant, just by the way it moves. Also giants are bad new. Just ask Zax, he's the one that defeated her."

Zax nodded at the acknowledgement, but was still too shaken up from the ordeal to bolster his reputation. The tiefling wasn't sure what had happened , but was glad he was back at camp. After he was trapped in the half hemisphere of ice, he evaded the giant by running in a panic. The giant seemed content with playing with her prey and didn't strike him down immediately. Zax thought he was doomed, but suddenly she collapsed and shrank into this girl. What was even more surprising was she lost her hunchback, warts, tusks, and general ugliness. The tiefling wasn't sure what to do, but after a few minutes of indecision the ice wall vanished, and fortunately for him Kirgi was there. The two struggled to transport the deceptively heavy girl back to camp, but eventually managed to return. The goblin horde seemed to have disperse into the hills as well. Zax wondered if they were real or were magical creations as well.

Halvor crossed his arms and remained defiant. "Giant or not , we won't kill unconscious prisoners! What type of reputation do we want to start for our group here? We'll question her when she awakes.", stated the big knight.

"It'll be too late. She'll use her magic to vanish like she did before, or maybe even use her giant wife wiles to charm one of us. ", said the dwarf in a hushed tone.

Halvor weighed that possibility. Although he wished to remain true to his ideals, the thought of one or all of them perishing to satisfy his honor weighed uneasily on him. "A vote then?", he asked . He wanted the leadership role in the group, but this decision was a heavy burden. With a vote he could deflect some of the responsibility if he chose poorly.

Kirgi sighed and nodded," Well , you know my vote. I say kill her, before she wakes up and use her giant magic on us. She's a frost giant, we should pour lamp oil on her and torch her. Its the only way to be sure."

Halvor was a bit taken back by the viciousness of his normally happy go lucky companion. He heard of the dwarves and giants blood feud, but didn't realize it ran so deep. " Well , I vote against this. We should have the courage and bravery to question her, not kill her like cowards while she's out cold. Besides her magical staff and armor, she doesn't have any valuables. We could at least parlay her freedom with the location of her treasure.", spoke the big knight. The last part he added to attempt to sway the more monetary driven members of their group. He had doubts they had the time or luxury to track down the giant's lair.

Petrus considered the two sides. " We not only endanger ourselves but we endanger the lives of the civilians in the caravan. It would be risky to allow her to revive. ", said the summoner calmly.

Kirgi smiled, but the military mage motioned for him to settle down. "However, despite my reservation, I have a personal code against killing children, unless they are directly attacking me of course. Even then I will seek another path. I can not vote one way or the other, so I abstain.", said Petrus grimly.

Zax was surprised the normally cold and uncaring summoner had some personal code he followed. From his talks with the man, he could surmise that Petrus had been involved in many brutal military campaigns.

"We are still split then . One for killing her , one against her, one abstention.", spoke Halvor , while his attention directed at Zax.

Zax hadn't noticed his gaze at first, he was still pondering Petrus's inner thoughts. Suddenly he realized that all 3 stared at him, and the decision laid on his lap.

"Ummmmm...", said Zax as he realized he had to literally make a life or death decision. He knew how dangerous the giant was, but something inside him knew that killing her while she was out cold was wrong. Maybe he knew that he wouldn't wanted to be slain in such a fashion if the role was reversed, or maybe it was her deceptively innocent appearance, whatever the reason he didn't want to murder her in "cold " blood. However, she was a giant, and giants were always up to no good. He remembered Kirgi's tales of how giants would stomp on dwarves in his homeland, sometimes even throwing them in sacks, then sitting on them to jellified the meat. The last thing Zax wanted was to be thrown into a sack and having someone sit on him. Sure , some people pay for that type of fetish in Lower Lueders, but being sat on by a sexy leather clad woman was drastically different then being sat on by a giant.

"Don't kill her! I'll take responsibility for her!", shouted a youthful feminine voice.

The 4 turned and saw the young woman with the light blue hair and the dark dresses at the door of their wagon. She was holding a holy symbol of some sort , an act proclaiming her as some sort of priestess.

Halvor smiled at the priestess but eyed her suspiciously."Have you been spying and listening to us the whole time?", he asked. Zax knew Halvor made it a point to talk to the various passengers of his caravan, and knew she was a minor priestess or a religious study student of some sort. The tiefling saw that the big knight had taken special attention to Sharliss but hadn't spoken to her much. Zax wondered if he discovered that she or her companion had money or something . Other then that, the tiefling knew little of the mysterious girl in front of her.

Sharliss giggled."Spying ? NO! Listening? Yes! It would be hard to find anyone in the caravan who haven't heard you 4 yell and argue. You're debate is quite lively and heated . However, I'm not hear to lodge a noise complaint. I am a priestess of Koryis and mercy is one of our main tenets. I will take this prisoner under my care till she awakes. Then you can question her and determine her motives. If her motives are villainous or irreconcilable then I'll leave her fate to you. However I can not stand idly by while you contemplate killing unconscious prisoners. Just look at her! She's just a girl!", stated the young priestess confidently.

Zax was glad that someone else would take responsibility for his decision , however he wasn't sure if this was a viable alternative." Wait ... Are you sure you are capable of taking care of her if she suddenly wakes up and starts bashing everything? This is a giant ! Not some poor beggar seeking succor at your church.", asked the tiefling. Although it would suit his purpose if someone else was watching the giant when it awoke, he didn't want it to be the young aristocrat . It would be such a waste for the young priestess to perish in such a foolish act, especially when Zax hadn't had the chance to "wheel" her and possibly liberate her of some of her rich parent's money.

Sharliss smiled , she seemed genuinely flattered by Zax's concern with her safety. " Fear not! I have my guardian with me, he's had experience handling feisty young girls.", joked the priestess, but the jest was lost on the 4 companions.

"I trust her , I change my vote to spare her if the priestess is involved.", said Petrus suddenly. The cold summoner gave a short nod to the young Sharliss who returned the gesture with a more dramatic curtsey and a bow.

The others shrugged and accepted the fate of their vote. Although Zax technically could tie the vote, he made no indication he would .

"Thank you. I will alert you when she awakes.", said Sharliss.

"One second miss. Although I admire your courage and faith in sparing this giant, the fact remains that she is very dangerous. Even though you have confidence in your guardian , I insist you have Zax accompany you while she recovers. He beat her once, he can beat her again.", spoke Halvor. Zax sensed a nervous edge to his voice, but the big knight's exact motives were lost to him. To the tiefling he seemed genuinely concerned with her safety.

Sharliss nodded at the big knight's decision. "As you wish. ", she said impassively, but secretly she was dancing at the prospect of being close to the orange young man.

* * *

><p>"Lift! You lazy runt, LIFT! I'm doing all the work!", said Chins as the half elf and tiefling struggled with the heavy shrunken giant.<p>

"I am lifting!", barked Zax angrily. The tiefling wasn't as strong as Chins but he made a career in porting people's baggage and luggage. Despite his familiarity with heavy labour , the young giant proved to be unwieldy and difficult to move despite her appearance. He had new respect for Kirgi as he realized the full weight of the girl without the dwarf to assist him.

The pair was at the edge of Sharliss's wagon , and struggled to place the giant inside it. "Ok on Three! One...two...THREE!", commanded Chins. The pair attempted to heave their heavy patient onto the cart once again. The half elf managed to place the giant's upper body onto the cart, but Zax wasn't able to heft her legs or rear on. The giant began to slide down awkwardly onto the tiefling from his failure. Before she slid completely off however, a pair of graceful hands reached out and grasped the giant by the shoulders. With a grunt the unseen helper managed to pull the unconscious giant onto the cart.

"Thanks .", said Zax as he stared at his helper. He paused as he realized he knew this woman.

Zax was pretty good with faces, it was a helpful trait in his line of work. It was the short blond woman that he was talking to a week ago in the tavern. Right before the tax collectors came. Nickie or Nymph or something. The woman's appearance was changed , she appeared to have less make up and appeared more rustic looking . She also sported a limp but Zax saw through her simple disguise. The woman seemed to recognize this, and stopped in her tracks.

"Nickie...Nya...Nymk! Right? What are you doing here?", asked Zax as he attributed her hesitation to her being star struck by his appearance.

"Master Zax!", she nodded , recovering quickly."Yes...I'm ...not worthy to be in your presence."

Chins groaned at the two and continued to drag the giant to the cot prepared by Sharliss. Sharliss for her part , seemed to forget her own awe at the tiefling and concentrated on her patient.

Zax relaxed at the side of the wagon, and acted suavely to Nymk." So...what are you doing here ? Why haven't I seen you in the caravan before?", asked the tiefling. From her dress , he guessed she was a serving girl of some sort. The fact she was here she attributed to pure coincidence. His manner of questioning wasn't demanding, and was more akin to small talk in a tavern. Zax took the opportunity to charm the young woman , and it was a convenient excuse not to drag the small heavy giant anymore. Zax valued the importance of hard work, but also valued it more when someone else was doing it.

Nymk hesitated and remembered her prepared response." I beg your forgiveness. I am but a maid serving lord Sarin and Lady Sharliss. But my master is very frugal with his funds, he thought he could evade my fare if he kept me hidden."

"Frugal!", shouted Sarin from the back of the wagon . Despite its simple outward appearance, Zax thought it seemed curiously larger from the inside then the outside. He had encountered such magics before in the city, but knew they were expensive and impractical for his business.

"I'll make a note of it to Halvor. He'll fine your deceitful master appropriately .", smiled the tiefling.

"Thank you for your understanding. ", said Nymk beaming at the tiefling. She shuffled forward and lowered a hand to help the tiefling into the cart. Zax again noticed her limp.

"What happened to your leg?", asked Zax . He showed concern, but was just attempting to appear sensitive to the girls plight. He knew the chicks liked that type of concern.

"errr...My brutish master inadvertently kicked me, when I was slow at cleaning the wagon.", she blurted . She turned around and mouthed "Sorry", realizing her reply made things awkward for her hosts.

"Brutish ? !", shouted Chins , unimpressed by the deception.

"The nerve of that ogre! I shall thrash him within an inch of his life, if he does not apologize immediately.", demanded Zax imperiously. He would do no such thing, but knew his staggering reputation would soon reduce this fat half elf to quiver like jelly at the threat of violence. All his bluster was to to score points with the lovely Nymk.

"Oh ...there's gonna be a thrashing alright! Let me get my hands on ...", started Chins, but Sharliss quickly silenced him with a cold stare. "ERrr I mean, I apologize for kicking you...", growled Chins.

"Its okay. Master.", replied Nymk kneeling subserviently to Chins. The maids initial surprise at Zax's appearance seemed to have worn off, and she seemed more at ease his presence.

"Are we done here?", asked Sharliss,"Because I have a giant to take care of and she needs some peace and quiet."

* * *

><p>The tiefling thought Chins was a better name for the fat half elf , but Sarin would do. Zax was clearly aware of the cold stare that Sarin was giving him across the small table. He didn't mind though, he took great pleasure at his ire. On the tiefling's left was the smiling Nymk. The attractive maid seemed focus on him and the tiefling knew he had her wrapped around his finger. More importantly to his right, was the beautiful, and more importantly rich, Sharliss who had grasped his arm and clung to him like the legend he was. Zax was use to such attentions by attractive women, but his time with the caravan didn't afford him much chance to bask in his reputation. The fact, two of the most attractive women in the caravan was at his attention and the annoying ChinsSarin was suffering from their fawning just made things better.

"So...you're going to Grom City to study?", asked Zax. The young Sharliss had mentioned a million things to him but he just wanted to confirm the few he actually listened to. It was a practiced tactic that served the tiefling well in the past. Just remember a few details, and ask the smitten woman about them again. It made them think he was actually listening and appeared interested in them.

"Yes!", beamed the bluish haired woman," I'm going to study in the Great Academy. I could have studied in Lower Lueders , but I wanted to see the world! "

Nymk paused from her fawning, " Why didn't your parents escort you there? Or hire an airship. They have the means and the connections.", she said breaking from her role of a star struck maid.

Sarin replied instead of Sharliss, "She wanted to see the world. Said this would be more fun. Also , her parents are up north , called to a mustering of the Second Great Host."

Nymk nodded, the facts given to her by the half elf seemed to make sense.

Zax on the other hand allowed most of the information to pass harmlessly , he was instead focused on the part of her parents hiring an airship. There were few airships in Grom, and almost all were used exclusively by the army. The fact Sharliss's parents had the means to hire one, meant she was a more attractive prize then he realized.

Sharliss nodded wistfully, "Yes , I want to see the world . Life is short you know."

Sarin frowned and nodded. A cold air seemed to settle into the wagon. For some unknown reason Zax's hosts seemed somber and regretful.

The tiefling decided to change the subject matter. "So ...your name is Shar and his is Sar? Those are odd names for your parents to give you don't you think?". The tiefling had incorrectly guessed they were siblings. From his time with them, he could tell they weren't intimate. Even though she called him his guardian they seemed more like brother and sister to him.

Sharliss laughed," A coincidence I assure you ! I'm adopted and that was the name given to me at the orphanage.". The grim mood faded away from her smile.

"Well that makes perfect sense now!", exclaimed Zax,"There was no way such a beauty could be related to such an uncouth oaf." . Sharliss giggled at his flirt, but Sarin just stared at the tiefling , murder in his eyes.

Nymk smiled slyly at Sarin, noticing the animosity the half elf had towards their guest. She knew Sarin could tear Zax's head off in an instant, but that wouldn't serve her goals. She quickly tried to disarm the situation. " Sar and Shar isn't that bad. There are worse names for siblings. Everyone knows of Frank, Hank, Frank and Tank ? What were their parents thinking? I've also met an Alan and Alex... talk about lazy naming... I think the worse case of stupid naming is Larry, Loric , and Laurie...so sad to have parents like that."

Sarin seemed to relax a bit from the last jest on Nymk's part. He obviously met Frank and Tank, but didn't know they had other similar named brothers. The other names seemed to silly however, obviously made up by the short blond swords woman, but the the half elf still found it amusing.

"Forgive me for this forthright question.", asked Zax as Sharliss still clutched his arm, her head resting on his shoulders." I've met many people in my travel. But have we met before?", he knew the answer but wanted to hear her say it. He guessed he either gave her a ride on his carriage before, or he waved at her once. Maybe he signed an autograph for her.

Sharliss smiled, "Don't you remember? You were the first boy I kissed!", she said smugly while continuing cuddling his arm.

Zax smiled. Jackpot, bingo, bam ba lam , touch down, goallllll. This was better then he could have hoped for. This girl was already smitten with him it seemed, he wondered how much money he could milk from her. Thoughts of paid shopping trips, vacations, new horses , gifts, gilded weapons danced through his head. This could be a gold mine if he played his cards right.

Sarin eyes narrowed as he guessed Zax's motives. The threat of violence once again filled the room. Sharliss seemed unconcern with her guardians intent, while Nymk wondered if she could stop the half elf at this range.

"I knew you looked familiar.", lied the tiefling. " I beg your forgiveness , I should recognize a beauty like yourself instantly, but the battle I've recently fought with the giant was very trying. Believe it or not , the beast landed a blow to my head. I'm sure I'll make a recovery ...especially with your ministrations. Can you please jog my memory from where we first met?"

Even Nymk was surprised at the atrocious lines spewed by Zax. The swords woman questioned what she knew of the tiefling from his response. Sharliss however almost purred at the attention.

"Don't you remember? The Avatar of Myleka , the Hag Queen was chasing me. I ran down the stairs and saw you . I hid behind you, while you shot her with your dragon golem. ...Then I kissed you...", she said while turning red.

Zax smiled and nodded, then a sudden realization came upon him. "Wait...wait a minute...that means your Hush... but that's impossible...she's a tiefling...like 10 years old...maybe 11...then your mother is...", stammered the tiefling. Memories that he buried a long time ago suddenly crawled from their grave. The tiefling suddenly grew fearful. He eyed the sword at his side and nervously gulped.

"We'll talk later...but right now. I sense my patient is waking.", smiled Hush as she got up and walked towards the sleeping giant. She brushed back her hair briefly revealing a short twisted horn that hugged the contours of her head, confirming her hidden identity.

Zax broke into a cold sweat. It wasn't the fact that she was a tiefling that worried him. Or even the strange fact that she had aged 7 or 8 years since the last time she met. It wasn't even the fact the giant was stirring. It was who her parents were...especially who her mother was.


	7. Chapter 7

Zax huddled in his carriage. The tiefling thought it would be a simple job. Ferry around the new captain's wife and her servant for an evening. Some rides to various stores. A fancy eatery . Maybe the park. Easy money. Instead he was parked outside a large sewer grate, waiting while the plain looking woman and her wooden halfling companion was up to who knows what.

"SCREEEEEEEE...".

A piercing howl split the air. Zax felt a supernatural fear wash over him, and for some reason he dove into the carriage and curdled into a shivering tight ball.

"That sounded close...", thought the orange boy. Zax thought he must have felt like what he looked like right now. A scared little boy. The tiefling laughed at his little jest, and some of his courage returned.

Zax appeared very youthful, even amongst his infernal kin. Compared to a human he appeared 12 or 13 years of age, but he was actually closer to 30. He wasn't sure what his exact age was or who his parents were since he was raised as a servant in a brothel. Thankfully he was rescued by Sister Wayland, and brought up in the orphanage of Koryis. He ran away as soon as he could though, and eeked out a living in the hard streets of Lueders.

Fortune smiled on him though, when the city experienced an influx of cash from the Church of Tartana and then from Lord Kerr of the Royal Adventurers. That was about 5 years ago, before the war with the traitors from Upper Lueders. Zax knew that to escape his poverty he needed to latch onto the opportunity before him. He weaseled his way into the army, then took his questionable commission and parlayed it into his carriage business.

His business was the only one of its kind, due to the berserk nature of the animals in the city. People distrusted tieflings but preferred his service over walking. It wasn't easy, but through the drugs he purchased from the dwarven teamsters and the druids he hired, he kept his horses barely under control . Enough control to earn a tidy profit.

Things seemed going his way the last little while. He even helped stopped the black carriage murderer the other night. The new captain had stopped him but the word on the street was that he did most of the work. Zax scoffed at the idea, knowing he would never take the credit for someone else's heroics.

Everything seemed to be going well, till he decided to ferry the new captain's wife.

"SCCCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSS..."

The screeching howl ripped through the air again. Zax felt it closer then before. His hearing wasn't exceptional but he thought he heard hard claws scraping against the stone of the sewers. They were getting closer. He wondered why his horses didn't panic. Even though they were drugged into submission , he thought the terrible noises would drive them away. The carriage would be damaged or smashed if they ran amok, but Zax would welcome such a cost. Currently he was too scared to even rise from his hiding spot to observe the source of the noise, let alone drive his carriage away.

The sound of a claw scraping on wood, mere inches away, brought the tiefling to a new level of terror. "Whatever it is...its outside.", Zax's panicked mind screamed. It wasn't a dog, or a cat...but something much worse. Zax wasn't very religious, but he prayed to Koryis that it would be over soon.

A thunderous crack broke the tension. Zax wasn't sure what was happening, but heard howling and the sounds of melee outside his carriage. The thunderous roar, was that of a dragon golem. Zax knew that from his time with the army. Even though he was a supply officer, there was the need for random tests on dragon powder. Zax wondered what was fierce enough to do battle with the terror or terrors that surrounded his carriage.

The sounds of battle consisted mostly of screeches and grunts and yelps of pain. Zax's breath stopped as he realized that only an inch of wood separated him from the combatants.

Suddenly Zax's mind snapped as a pale creature with a fanged filled maw began climbing into his carriage. It was humanoid with a gaunt terrible physique. Zax wasn't sure if it sought to escape the battle or detected his hiding spot. The creature's terrible red eyes saw Zax right away, and it hungrily clamored towards him.

Zax thought that was the most frightful thing he had ever saw. For a second he wished he was a slave in the brothel, cursing that he was ever rescued by Sister Wayland.

*Swisssssh*

A flash of silver appeared in the creature's neck, and a surprised look filled its horrible face. The abomination's head rolled off its neck, and landed in Zax's lap. The tiefling was relieved but when he looked at his savior the terror he had recently experienced returned ten fold.

A creature of pure darkness with terrible piercing yellow eyes stood before him. All will power drained from him. Zax knew it was death incarnate . He began to gibber in madness and reached for his knife. Not to attack the terrible darkness , but to end his own life. A flaming sword knocked the dagger away from his fumbling grasp, and Zax curdled into a quivering ball , awaiting his fate.

"I'm sorry .", said a soft voice. Zax felt the terror disappear and he found himself face to face with the new captain's plain looking wife.

"I got carried away there. I'm sorry if thing's got out of hand. ", she said with a frown.

Zax nodded , the fear was gone, but he still looked around nervously.

"We have several other destinations to visit before the night is over. We'll be more careful next time. ", she said but Zax let the words pass without recognition. The danger was gone but his mind was still broken over the affair.

"I see you are shaken up from this whole affair.", she said. She placed the fire sheathed blade gently on Zax's head, and the fear and the recent memory fled from his thoughts.

Most of them anyways.

* * *

><p>"Did you hear a thing I said?", asked Sharliss to the stunned Tiefling. The normally upbeat and suave talking boy seemed lost in his own thoughts. Sharliss hadn't known Zax for that long, but knew that it was very uncharacteristic of him to stand there blank eyed and lost. He responded numbly to questions, but seemed lost in thought. At first, she thought it was some type of spell, but a detection spell detected nothing unusual. The young hero was just simply lost in his own deep thoughts she concluded.<p>

"Too much Dorf Root.", guessed the paladin. Dorf Root was a popular narcotic that was distributed by the dwarven teamsters. It had a mild relaxing effect, but too much was said to dull the senses and even render people into a temporary stupor. The fact his pockets smelled of the substance confirmed his suspicions.

Zax wasn't in a coma, but seemed to stare blankly into space. It had happened earlier in the evening, right before the giantess began to stir. Sharliss wondered if that was the trigger to his current condition. She was focused on her patient and hadn't observe Zax's reaction at the time. Sarin seemed happy that the tiefling finally shut his mouth, but Nymk seemed to show concern at his fate.

Sharliss recognized the swords woman's worry but didn't let jealousy cloud her heart. She knew that Nymk's concern was based on something else besides a romantic interest. The young cleric didn't know what her motives were, but knew that she wasn't interested in a personal relationship with the tiefling. Zax was all hers, she thought smugly.

The white skinned girl with the white hair stirred a bit, and mumbled something in a tongue Sharliss didn't recognize. She was waking but still in some sort of fever. Sarin apparently knew "jotun" or giant tongue and translated some of it to her.

"Something about...knights...Down ...Meow... a crusade...a pyramid... eternal ice.",the half elf said while translating for the giant.

Sharliss was impressed with her guardian's skill at languages. Although she teased him about it before, she thought it was a pretty handy skill. Sarin's grandfather Fetch also possessed such a skill , the ability to learn new languages effortlessly. The large half elf was sensitive when any connection with his famous grandfather was mentioned. The young priestess however took delight in playfully attacking her guardian by mentioning such links. Tonight however, she kept her tongue , the fate of her patient depended on his skill and she needed his ability to translate her fevered speech.

The giant stirred again and began mumbling. Sharliss looked at her , and took note of her appearance. She was young, apparently 14 or 15 years old in human years. Which meant she was 30 or 40 or maybe older. Sharliss wasn't sure the exact life span of giant wives were. She wasn't sure if she was even a giant wife, like Kirgi mentioned. She could very well be just a really small giant, though she doubted it. Out of her armor, she looked thin,frail and harmless , more like a little girl then a giantess. She thought how different she was from her patient. Sharliss guessed her own age to be around 5 or 6. She wasn't sure her exact age due to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding her birth and early life. Even though Sister Wayland assigned her a birthday and an arbitrary age, Sharliss's own past was still a mystery.

The young priestess looked at her deceptively young patient and briefly wondered what it would be like to live an unnaturally long life. Her sister Surry only appeared a few years older then her right now, but she knew it was closer to 40 years older. In a year or two, Sharliss would appear to be the older sister. Although Sarin was a half elf, his elven blood was very thin and diluted, but even he aged slower then Sharliss. The priestess guessed she would live 25 maybe 30 human years tops at the rate she currently aged. Sister Wayland explained that tieflings were not a generic race like elves or humans, but a term used to describe the various breeds that resulted from the coupling of evil outsiders and mortals. Although they shared some similar characteristics, they were vast differences between one tiefling to another. Things like maximum age, special powers and even rooted characteristics seemed to be as varied as their appearances. Surry promised to help her extend her life through alchemical means, but Sharliss didn't seem too concern. She had heard the tales of her father, and how much he saw and accomplished in a mere 4 years. To be a hero, to see the world, to battle evil, to find true love. If she could experience half of what he did in that time, she would be content with her life.

Sharliss's inflection was disturbed as the giantess stirred again. She applied a simple healing spell to calm her. It seemed the giants wounds were more mental then physical, but the spell seemed to relax her patient.

"Something about hags, a great evil, taking over...", spoke Sarin grimly. The half elf had guessed awhile ago what had happened to the giant, but her fevered speech confirmed his thoughts.

"You shouldn't be so grim, Sar. You should be happy. Nymk and yourself freed her from those hags.", said the priestess quietly.

Nymk motioned the priestess to be quiet, and motioned to the unresponsive Zax." We did? ", she whispered.

Sarin nodded,"Here's my take on the situation. The giant must have been a captive in the great pyramid of Dow Mow. The one my mother and her friends raided almost 2 years ago. I'm guessing she fell prey to the possession magic the demons had employed. Hence the previous description of her white fur. When we slew the hags, that broke the spell.", explained the half elf.

Sharliss smiled. "That means you freed her! The first damsel in distress you rescued!", she said with pride and no hint of sarcasm.

"No, I've rescued maidens before. I was an adventurer before I took your father's baby sitting quest. Remember?", dismissed the half elf . "However, that means I'm sure she's just a victim here. Even though she's a giant, I won't allow Zax and his band of buffoons to slay her for the crime of just being one."

The young priestess tensed and sensed the seriousness of the half elven paladin. Although there was a hint of violence in his voice, she agreed ." I concur. I will not allow that to happen, but let's try diplomatic means before we get to the heavy handed approach.", she said.

"Wait a minute...from the sounds of it, you two are willing to fight the caravan guards to protect this ...giant? While we're in the middle of these monster filled mountains ? ", asked Nymk.

"You make us sound crazy heh. We're not gonna kill anyone, at least not on purpose. We'll just make sure she gets to safety. ", sighed the paladin. " However, if push comes to shove, I won't hesitate to employ violence .", he smiled as he motioned towards Zax.

"Oh he's just a meany. He just wants to sound tough to scare you .", smiled Sharliss as a small hint of impish glee revealed itself.

"I'll make sure no harm comes to her. ", stammered Zax unexpectedly. The 3 was taken back that Zax was still awake. They were sure he was in a Dorf Root induced trance of some sort the whole time.

"You heard everything?", asked Nymk nervously.

"Sorry about that, I just remembered something...unpleasant. I heard bits and pieces, something about you guys killing hags, and freeing this giant. If these hags you mentioned were responsible for her actions, then she's done nothing wrong. No harm will come to her for her previous actions. ", explained Zax , nervously casting a glance at Sharliss.

"...and you're ok with all that? ", asked Nymk. " I hardly can believe it, and I was there. You believe this story?".

Zax gulped nervously and stared at Sharliss. Thoughts of the darkness , of those terrible yellow eyes , clawed at his brain. He nodded , realizing anything was possible knowing who her dark mother was. Sharliss noticed the stare, and saw genuine fear in the young tiefling's face. She stood there confused and wondered what changed the normally smooth talking hero, to the fear filled boy in front of her.

"Can we leave the part of the hags , and our involvement out?", asked Nymk. It was a long shot, but she knew it would make things easier for her. Sarin shrugged at the question. He preferred praise for his deeds, but he didn't need it. His interest in the secretive swords woman was piqued however at the suggestion she made.

"Yes..I think its for the better. I see you have everything under control, I will leave you three be. Thank you for the evening. ", said Zax in a cold sweat, as he swiftly left the carriage. The tiefling didn't need to leave anything out , since the memory of the evening was overshadowed by memory of those terrible eyes. The conversation he had with the odd group was just automatic answers for him, he just wanted to leave ..leave far away.

Concern filled Sharliss face. She began to follow the tiefling to ask him what was wrong. Maybe her healing could help him. However before she took a step , the giant stirred once more. She stood frozen for a second before her sense of duty to her patient brought her to the giants side.

"You know. He's not so bad, once you get past all that bluster.", said Sarin with a shrug.

* * *

><p>"I have to get out of here.", gibbered Zax as he hurried to his wagon. All thoughts of goblins lurking in the mountains and other hidden terrors were eclipsed by the threat of the darkness with the yellow eyes. He thought he had forgotten about it, but something about the girl had triggered and released the fear he had suppressed .<p>

"Wait...was that magic? Was a spell cast on me to make me forget? ", thought the tiefling as he remembered bits and pieces of that fateful night. The wooden halfling guarded him and the cart for the rest of the night. After the 4th sewer the dark woman returned drained. She didn't seem physically hurt but seemed to struggle with some internal anguish. Before they could strike out to another location they were visited by a horrible monster with multiple eyes. The woman stood before the monster and seemed to accept her fate. The beast turned her to stone and quickly turned the wooden halfling and himself to stone as well. They were eventually released, but Zax thought it curious how well he handled that entire situation . He remembered even asking for a tip after his infliction was cured. Now he knew the reason for his calm.

"My mind was tampered with. The terrible darkness did it, and her daughter is right there. I have to get out of here.", gibbered the tiefling again to himself.

"Zax! I was going to get you at the blue hair girl's wagon, but I'm glad I found you.", said a familiar dwarven voice.

Zax calmed himself and found himself face to face with the young dwarf Kirgi. "I guess everything's ok with the giant? Sorry I overreacted back there, but giants and dwarves just don't mix.", explained the dwarf sheepishly.

"Its ok.", said Zax blankly. He didn't care what happened to the giant. He would have said anything to leave the wagon at that point. Leave the wagon, leave this caravan, he'll take his chances in the wilderness by himself. Anything to get away from the daughter of the terrible darkness.

Kirgi paid no attention to the wild look of panic in Zax's face. He grabbed the tieflings arm and began pulling him to the central caravan wagon. Zax struggled meekly but was no match for the persistent dwarf. He thought of stabbing him, but knew it would be better to wait for an opportunity to run.

As the two once again entered the wagon. A foul stench snapped Zax out of his terror. The tiefling's panic faded as he was confronted by what appeared to be a piece of large animal droppings laid out on the table.

"I trust everything is ok with the giant?", asked Halvor as he covered his nose. Zax responded with a nod.

"Kirgi was scouting, and he found this!", declared Petrus ignoring the stench. "Do you know what this is?", he asked.

"Errr...crap?", responded Zax . Although he grew up in the mean streets of Lower Lueders and smelled much worse odors, the tiefling still reeled from the offensive reek.

"Yes sir. More specifically troll spoor. ", declared Kirgi proudly. "I found it a few miles ahead up the path . More importantly ...its fresh."

Halvor and Petrus nodded as they deferred to the dwarf. Trolls were his area of expertise.

"Trolls are curious monsters, they are either extremely solitary or very social creatures. When encountering the beasts, there's a 50/50 chance of finding just one or a whole nest of them. ", explained the dwarf , clearly reveling at the attention given to him by his fellows.

"Its almost morning , and there's no sign of an attack. Which is good for us since trolls are mostly nocturnal . That gives us two options. We can press forward tomorrow. Hopefully bypassing the troll or trolls territory. Or ...we can seek their lair and dispatch them while they sleep. Both plans have their merits and dangers. If we push forwards and do not escape their land, they would most likely attack us at night, on their terms. Seeking their lair of course is a more proactive approach, with its own set of obvious dangers...namely a lair of pissed off trolls.", stated the dwarf.

"Vote time again.", smiled Halvor, as Petrus and Kirgi nodded in agreement.

"I vote go after them. The caravan can push ahead during the day with the rest of the guards. We'll track them down with a small group. ", said the big knight.

"I rather be the hunter then the hunted.", agreed Petrus, he demonstrated his power by flicking his fingers and a small flame appeared between them.

"You all know my vote.", smiled Kirgi.

Zax knew his vote didn't matter at this point. Instead of cursing his fate, he knew this was the perfect opportunity he was looking for. "Gentleman, the troll hunt is on.", he smiled with a mask of bravery on.


	8. Chapter 8

"So forest trolls are like regular trolls, except smaller. From the name you can guess they live in forests. Cave trolls are much larger then normal trolls, and ..you guessed it . They live in deep caves. ", said Kirgi happily listing off the type of trolls as the small band pressed forwards into the mountains. The dwarf had no trouble tracking their prey, and seemed happy to share the vast information he knew about trolls with his companions.

Zax was numb from the babbling dwarf. He had listened to the dwarf for almost an hour now, and he still didn't know the difference between a black troll and a stone troll. He saw a troll in the coliseum once. It was a large skinny monster, with green skin, long arms ending in sharp claws, and sharp teeth. The thing that caught Zax's attention though was its long strange nose and its black flat top hair . The gladiators it fought against hacked it to pieces but it still managed to crawl and attack them. It wasn't till one of the gladiators grabbed an arena torch and set the quivering pieces of the monster on fire , that the battle ended.

"Then there's the two headed troll. Very tall , much taller then an ettin, and yup, it has two heads. Although I've heard of a three headed variety, I myself had never seen one. Also there's the Fell Troll, similar to a two headed troll, but much larger. I'm not sure why they didn't call it a greater two head troll, but I'm sure the elder hunters have their reasons. ", said Kirgi.

Halvor seemed fascinated by the dwarf, but Petrus seemed to be getting visibly annoyed at him instead.

"I thank you for this lore, but shouldn't we be as silent as possible. We wouldn't want to wake our prey .", said the summoner trying his best to silence the dwarf.

"Nah...trolls are notoriously deep sleepers, and don't worry about guards, they are too lazy to post them. ", reassured the dwarf. "Now where was I. There's the war troll, a vicious creature, it looks like a troll, smells like a troll, even moves likes a troll, but baby...its not a troll! A strange aberration that's more akin to what we in the business call a "monstrous humanoid " then an actual troll. And of course there's the most feared and rare troll of them all. The dreaded flaming mutant pugilistic dwarf troll. Most scholars debate whether this creature actually exists , but there are tales of how it can defeat even a party of hardened adventurers with only its bare flaming fist!"

"A troll that employs fire? Absurd!", retorted Petrus.

"I know it seems unlikely, but there are other trolls that are immune to flames. The fire troll for instance, and lets not forget all the fire giant half troll breeds, and or course half fiend trolls. They are a very adaptable creature.", claimed the dwarf.

Zax let the two argue as he formulated his own plan. As soon as they got closer to the lair, Zax would volunteer to either go first, or scout round back. When alone he'll use his potion of invisibility to evade his comrades. If his companions are defeated by the troll that was fine, the entire caravan would know eventualy figure out they've all been slain . If his allies were somehow victorious that was ok too. Of course his comrades will explain his disappearance with the fact he was slain in battle . Zax had packed all his important gear into his magical satchel, and was ready to find civilization on his own. He needed the caravan and more importantly Sharliss to believe he was dead. The trolls were the perfect diversion. If he simply ran away, then the girl and more importantly his mother might still seek him out. That was something Zax did not want happening. He would gladly sacrifice his fame to be rid of that dark memory. He didn't even mind Lady Nayra seizing all his assets after the news that he died reached Lower Lueders. Anything to evade the attentions of Sharliss and her dark mother.

Adria , Petrus's ebony skin eidolon raised her hands to signal the band to stop. Although Kirgi was very observant and noticed most things Zax didn't , Adria seemed to possess almost supernatural senses. Adria was created to be a combat scout , Petrus said. The summoner tried to explain that an eidolon was part outsider, and part an extension of his will. The summoner could shape the creature to whatever he desired, but it also seemed to have some independence of thought as well. Some summoners he explained, used eidolons for mounts, front line combatants, and sometimes even bizarre purposes like lock picking or smithing.

The group stopped at the eidolons command and looked cautiously around. The dark skinned woman with the bronze armor pointed ahead to some rocks. Zax couldn't see anything , but Kirgi smiled in acknowledgement.

"A hidden cave, very clever.", said the dwarf.

"Are you sure they'll be asleep ? ", asked Halvor once more. The big knight seemed eagar for battle, but didn't like unknown variables.

The dwarf sighed, "Yes. Trolls have an aversion to sunlight. Some of them even turn to stone when exposed directly to the sun."

Petrus snorted, the summoner clearly didn't believe the dwarf.

Kirgi ignored the challenge, and continued his rehashed explanation."Listen trolls are basically lazy monsters, Its about noon, I'm sure they'll be asleep. ". The dwarf paused and suddenly he seemed unsure of himself. "Well unless of course they are being commanded by other creatures. They might be awake then."

Petrus rolled his eyes but remained silent. Zax was amazed at his restraint. If he was in the same position he would have mercilessly ridiculed the dwarf at that point.

Halvor however didn't seem impressed. "Wait...so there is a chance they might be awake? More importantly , there is a chance the caravan might be attacked while we are away?"

"A small...very slight chance.", squeaked the dwarf. To emphasized the point he held his finger and thumb slightly apart and slowly brought them together , indicating the chance of that particular scenario was very small indeed.

Halvor considered the options before him. Zax wasn't sure how the group actually operated but assumed that Halvor made most of the decisions unless they were really important ones. Those he seemed to put to a vote. The tiefling wondered if the vote was just a way for him to avoid responsibility. It didn't matter though, soon Zax would be long gone from this crazy group and more importantly from Sharliss and her dark mother.

"We've come this far. We might as well proceed.", interrupted Petrus reluctantly. "I'm sure the guards we left at the caravan will deter any attacks. Before we left, I ordered torches at the ready and flaming bolts just in case.

Halvor seemed annoyed that the summoner prompted the decision for him, but he could not find fault in his logic. He motioned with his hand for the group to proceed.

When the group got closer, Zax felt now was the time to speak. "Listen guys. It might be a trap . I'll go in first to take a look inside.", the tiefling said knowing that as soon as he was out of sight he would vanish and run away. He thought he might have to embellish his death with some screams, but felt he should remain quiet and let them guess his fate.

Kirgi shook his head. "Your bravery is as great as the tales, but I disagree. I'm the trained troll slayer here. I should go in first."

Zax looked at the dwarf in surprise. He wasn't gonna let this little twerp ruin his plan. He could attempt to hang back and disappear , but that was more likely to raise suspicions. Going into the cave by himself and having a head start seemed like a more successful plan to the tiefling.

"Listen Kirgi, I'm the hero here. You guys hired me to take the risks, and I'll gladly do that. I'm not a troll slayer like yourself, but I've battled the beasts before . I'm much more suited to go in first.", said the tiefling with his usual fake dramatic and heroic flare.

"Kirgi shook his head, you may be our resident hero. But this is what I live for. I'm a dwarf, and I've trained all my life to battle trolls. If anyone should go in first, it should be me. I know all their little tricks ", defended the dwarf.

"Look...we don't have time for this. How about, you both go in ..together. ", said Halvor at the bickering comrades.

Kirgi agreed immediately, while Zax slowly nodded his head.

"I could still make this work.", muttered the tiefling at the smiling dwarf.

* * *

><p>The dwarf and the tiefling proceeded into the hidden cave. Zax thought the cave wasn't that big, but the dwarf pointed out claw marks that showed the trolls had crawled through it. Both of them had superior dark vision so no source of illumination was needed.<p>

"Ok...remember . Its a simple scouting mission. We just need to know where they are and how many, then we'll exit and formulate and attack. Stealth is the key. ", whispered the dwarf.

Zax winked at the dwarf, considering the best time to ditch the dwarf. He only had a short time to implement his plan though. Petrus suggested 5 minutes tops to scout the area. Find out as much as they can then exit, he told them.

The pair made their way into the small tunnel and Zax was surprised it opened up into a large cavern after a short crawl. Zax had never gone caving or spelunking before and marveled at the sight before him. Various large mushrooms and glowing moss grew around the stalagmites and the stalactites in the chamber. The tiefling was taken back by the wondrous sight, and would have marveled at it more if the threat of trolls didn't hang in the air.

"Perfect. I'll lose him in this forest.", thought Zax.

The tiefling waited for the perfect moment but it never arised. The dwarf stayed close to him, and was mindful of where Zax was at all times. Zax bristled with frustration at the attentive dwarf , but another opportunity soon presented itself. The pair found themselves over looking a deep pit. Sounds of deep snoring emanated from the pit.

Zax peered inside and noticed a dozen of the monstrous sleeping creatures. They seemed to be resting on various bones and carcasses , some animal but mostly humanoid ones. His blood ran cold as he gazed at the monsters. The tiefling turned away and noticed that Kirgi was smiling.

"This is gonna be easy. Let's tell the others.", smiled the dwarf.

Zax was hesitant. The troll he saw in the arena was nothing like the brutes he was viewing now. He always thought that the arena monsters were well kept and fed, but the opposite seemed true instead. The sleeping monsters were clearly more muscular and feral. Their teeth and talons gleamed menacingly , even though they were stained with blood and gore.

"Wait...", whispered Zax. The dwarf paused and the tiefling pointed to several empty nests.

"What am I suppose to be looking at ?", asked Kirgi , while staring at the obvious to Zax.

"Those matted nests, shouldn't there be trolls in them.", said Zax with a hint anger. He wondered how much of an expert Kirgi actually was.

"Hmmm...I suppose that makes sense. Maybe they're sleep walking or something. ", shrugged the dwarf.

Zax considered pushing the dwarf into the pit right there, but he stayed his hand. Besides waking the slumbering trolls there were other dangers to consider, mainly Kirgi's "sleep walking" trolls. "Lets tell the others.", said the tiefling. Zax knew his chance to ditch the dwarf and run had gone. It would be too risky especially with all these monsters about. His best bet was to just run. Make it back to camp, hop on a horse and take his chances with the dangerous wilds. With luck, maybe the trolls would attack the caravan and wipe them all out. It wasn't the escape he wanted, but better them then him.

The pair crept their way back to the narrow entrance. Zax paused and let Kirgi get ahead of him.

"It's now or never . ", the tiefling thought. He pulled his last remaining "invisibility " potion and quaffed it down. Even though the last two invisibility potions had failed he was sure this one would work. It was created by the famous alchemist Dimitri, surely the third time was the charm. Zax noticed that this one tasted different then the others, he raised his hand and saw that his normally orange skin had turned a light shade of blue.

"Cool. When invisible you appear blue to yourself.", he thought smugly. He waited as Kirgi left the cave .

"Zax...get out of there...", hissed Kirgi , but the tiefling chuckled as he remained invisible.

Suddenly Zax felt the earth rumble and shake . He turned around and saw a few of the trolls had awaken and had apparently stalked them back to the entrance. They sniffed the air , and then started to charge the tiefling.

"By Kard, they can smell me!", thought Zax. He jumped back from the reach of the lead troll, then quickly scrambled out of the cave. Although the entrance was narrow, it didn't impede the tiefling at all. The trolls however had to squeeze through the stony entrance.

His companions must have heard the roar, as they looked readied as the trolls began clamoring towards them. Zax didn't have time to worry about them now. Instead he sprinted past them and towards the camp.

Kirgi slammed a war axe into the trolls hand , effectively pinning it with his strike. Halvor followed suit by slamming his great axe into the trapped monsters face. The creature hadn't expect such fierce resistance, and tried to retreat, but the dwarf dug his heels into the stone floor. Adria's fists flared with fire, and she finished the monster off with a painful looking punch to the eye. The troll's face erupted into flame as it slumped lifeless in the narrow cave.

The band stepped back , wondering what to do next. Should they wait for more trolls to attack or should they press forward. Their decision was made for them, as the dead troll's body was dragged deeper into the cave to clear the entrance. Several fierce challenging roars erupted from the cave, and they knew that the trolls were coming out.

"Looks like we get to chop a few more of them in this choke point.", said Kirgi with a smile.

"Agreed.", smiled Halvor. "Let's make them pay for their poor choice of tactics."

Petrus and Adria waited patiently for the next troll.

"Errr...by the way. Did everyone see Zax run out ? Did he just flee from battle? ", asked Kirgi in disbelief.

Halvor nodded, " Umm...yeah, but he was blue. I thought I was seeing things or something."

"Maybe when Zax turns blue, he's summoning his ultimate power. ", said Adria sarcastically .

To her surprise the dwarf and the big knight agreed. "Well that explains it .", Halvor said cheerfully before slamming his axe into the next troll.

* * *

><p>"Got to get out of here!", thought Zax as he fled from the battle. "Good thing they didn't see me. They'll think the trolls got me for sure. "<p>

As Zax ran , he felt a pang of regret as he abandoned his companions. He didn't really like any of them, except perhaps the annoying Kirgi, but death by trolls was a fate he didn't wish on anyone. Judging from the gnawed bones and skeletons in their lairs, they would most likely be eaten alive.

The thought of being eaten alive, spurred the tiefling to run faster. He even stumbled on the rocky ground, but his quick reflexes saved him from a fatal tumble down the mountain. As Zax picked himself up, he heard the sounds of battle ahead of him. At the caravan he guessed.

The tiefling slowed his advance and scrambled to a ledge to see what was happening. To his shock , a troll as large as a giant , along with several others were attacking the caravan. He recalled Kirgi's lore and assumed it was either a cave troll or a giant troll. Or maybe even one of those stone trolls. Regardless of its exact species it towered over everything else, a good 15 feet tall, and almost as broad.

Zax could see a barrier of flames keeping the trolls at bay. A large charred corpse told him that the caravan guards had used their oil effectively it seemed, but the fires were dying and the trolls were massing to attack. The flaming bolts they fired struck a few trolls, but most extinguished themselves before striking their targets. The trolls calmly plucked them out and to Zax's surprise their wounds healed almost as quickly as they were inflicted.

Screams of terror and panic over took the merchants, as they realized that their guides were gone. Only a dozen guards were what stood between them and the half dozen ravenous trolls. The huge troll picked up a boulder and threw it at the guards. It struck him squarely and reduced him to paste in a second. The merchant's saw the fallen guard and knew it was only a matter of time.

The fires died down , and the trolls swept forward towards the seemingly defenseless caravan. A large half elf suddenly stepped out behind a wagon , with his spear set, and impaled the fastest troll. His spear appeared to be bursting in flames as it pierced the troll thoroughly. The monster shrieked as the flames consumed it. Another troll, rushed the paladin, but he quickly withdrew his spear and stabbed at the new attacker. His attack pierced and burned the trolls shoulder, but the monster continued its angry advance. It swiped its claws at the half elf and struck him solidly in the chest. The paladin grunted and shuffled backwards, but did not seemed panicked at the angry 1000lb troll in front of him. In fact, he seemed to regard the entire situation coolly, like he was sparring or practicing .

As the trolls momentum faded, he started to swing methodically at the slowly retreating half elf, who in return stabbed his spear into the troll. Both seemed to be testing the others defenses, but Zax noted the half elf's blows seemed to tear through the larger troll's guard with ease. With a roar of frustration the troll attempted to grasp the comparatively small spear out of the paladins hands. In return the half elf, spun his spear and withdrew it swiftly. The quick motion managed to set sever several of the trolls fingers, and set his hand on fire at the same time.

The troll roared, but was quickly silenced . A dark shadow rolled out from under a wagon, and stabbed the stunned troll viciously from behind with her scimitar. Zax was surprised , it was the maid Nymk, he was even more surprised that her lethal strikes fell the equally shocked and surprised troll. The tiefling blamed the smoke on what he was seeing, it couldn't have possibly been the maid, it was probably one of the more experienced guards in the caravan, one that he hadn't met yet.

* * *

><p>"I had that handled. ", shrugged Sarin as he braced for more trolls. The monstrous attackers had scattered or slain the remaining guards but paused in their attack. Their attention focused on their two slain fellows, and more importantly on the half elf and woman that killed them.<p>

Sharliss walked behind the half elf , and uttered a spell as she touched his back. Even though the half elf didn't seem to suffer from the trolls strikes , Sarin noted his strength and vitality restored. Instead of praise though , he growled at the girl. "Get back in the wagon . We got this handled."

The girl shook her head in response and seemed to ready another spell.

"We can use all the help we can get I think.", said Nymk. In response several of the remaining guards and a few brave merchants rallied around Sarin and the swords woman.

Sarin sighed at the "reinforcements", he knew they would just get in his way or even worse get killed. The paladin focused on the incoming rush and readied his spear for the next attack. He didn't have to wait long though, as the huge troll lead the charge this time. It tossed a horse it had slain earlier at the knight, but the half elf easily dodged it . The attack served its purpose though, as Sarin lowered his spear for a second . The massive troll crashed into him, sending the fat knight flying backwards almost 30 feet.

Sharliss didn't seem too concern about the trolls attack on her guardian and instead completed her spell . A grey cloud descended onto a smaller troll, and it shrieked as it clutched its eyes. Nymk swiftly dispatched the blinded troll, with several scimitar strikes at its neck, heart, stomach, groin, and spine. The screaming troll fell, and several guardsmen descended on it with flaming torches.

The huge troll interrupted their attack however, and grasped one of the guards . His claws and grip instantly rendered the man limp as the troll hefted him skywards and then brought his prone form hurtling towards Nymk. The swift swords woman jumped to the side, but the huge troll awaited her dodge, and kicked her with its huge claw foot. The kick connected solidly with the woman , and she spun like a kicked puppy towards a wagon.

The remaining guardsmen sensed their doom was upon them , and fled. One of the regular size trolls pursued them, while the other grinned and stalked towards the blue haired girl.

The young priestess seemed preoccupied with a wounded guard, and appeared to not notice the trolls advance.

"YEEEEAAAAAAHHH!", cried a voice above them. The battle paused as everyone looked up . They stared in shock at the new combatant. He jumped from a high ledge into the battle, rapier and dragon golem in hand. The attacker fired the dragon golem and it struck the advancing troll squarely in the spine . It clawed the blackened flesh on its back and turned to face its new attacker. As he saw his attacker, he froze in apparent fright.

* * *

><p>"Wow, that guy is brave. Stupid but brave. ", thought Zax. "Wait a minute...that's me! What the hell am I doing! ", the tiefling realized as he suddenly found himself slashing with wild abandon at the frozen troll. The ferocity and speed of his strikes apparently surprised even the troll, as it seemed unable to mount an effective defense or counter attack against the whirlwind of blades before him. Zax considered himself a skilled duelist, but he never thought he could battle a troll with just a mere blade. Perhaps if he had a dozen men at his side he could, but not in single combat. The tiefling chopped and hacked the troll into various pieces, until it finally fell to the ground. He noted it was still regenerating and panicked when he saw there were no guards with torches near.<p>

Zax hacked at the fallen troll some more, and noticed that Nymk had recovered and appeared to be in a lethal dance with the troll pursuing the fleeing guards. Scimitar and claw flashed at each other as the two combatants circled each other warily. Even more surprising was that the huge troll seemed gripped in its own struggle . It was locked in a bear hug with an equally large white haired giant. Zax stopped and blink at this bizarre sight. The giantess was clearly the one he ran from the other day , but it looked less feral and more human. The large half elf had recovered from the blow he suffered earlier , and somehow managed to perch himself on the wrestling giant troll's neck. He brought his spear down into the preoccupied troll's skull and neck repeatedly as the monstrous creature seemed unable to dislodge him. The power of the paladin's attacks seemed to finally take its toll on the beast as it crashed into the ground . The paladin slid effortlessly off his fallen foe, and effortlessly jabbed his spear to dispatch the troll dueling Nymk.

With her opponent defeated , the giantess fell to the ground and collapsed and shrank back into her small girlish form.

Instead of celebrating Sarin dropped his now normal looking spear and scooped up the unconscious girl. He muttered something about his power having too short of a duration or something, and began looking for something to set the fallen trolls aflame, as he held the shrunken giant.

Zax almost face palmed himself, as he realized he could help. Most tieflings had the power to create darkness, although a few had other strange and useful powers. Zax had always cursed himself, that his power was the ability to grow hot. Not hot enough to set things from a distance on fire, but hot enough to give blisters to anyone in close contact with him. Zax set himself smouldering and began stomping his hot feet into the fallen trolls. He wasn't sure if the temperature he reached was sufficient, but the trollish flesh blackened and blistered at his touch.

"That's a useful power.", said Sarin amazed at the tiefling's strange dance on top of the trolls.

Hush rushed to Nymk's side and examined the blow she had taken from the huge troll. The swords woman / maid fell to her knees as the adrenaline of the battle drained from her. Zax couldn't hear her fully , but could make out something about "cracked ribs ". After a few spells she then went to Sarin and examine the unconscious giant.

The remaining merchants and surviving guards returned when they realized that the battle was over, and somehow they won. They were greeted with the sight of the victorious tiefling jumping on the remaining troll bits into oblivion.

"Three cheers for Zax! The troll stomper !", they cried.

Sarin smiled and knelt closely to Sharliss who seemed more concerned with the injured giant then the cheering crowds.

"You know, he's pretty lucky you managed to cast that holding spell on that troll coming after you. He would have ended up like one of these unfortunate guards if you hadn't.", said the Paladin with a cocky smile as he motioned towards the jubilant tiefling.

Nymk laughed but the act brought a sharp pain to her chest. Sharliss touched her head and the swords woman relaxed as the pain vanished.

Sharliss paused from her ministrations and managed a weak smile, "I'm not too sure about that. I think he has a few tricks that will surprise the both of us." , she said as she eyed the sheathed long sword at Zax's side.


	9. Chapter 9

"So ...let me get this straight. Zax didn't run away from the trolls. He actually ran to the caravan to warn them of an attack?", asked Halvor unconvinced.

Kirgi nodded his head vigorously in response. "That's right. After we killed a few more trolls exiting the tunnel , I did as you ordered and checked up on him. When I tracked him back to the caravan, there were dead trolls everywhere.", explained the dwarf.

"Why didn't he say anything as he ran then? He could have alerted us of the situation.", asked Petrus, equally unconvinced.

Kirgi shrugged. "He might have shouted something in the cave and we couldn't hear it over the troll's roars. Or maybe the acoustic of the narrow tunnel bounced the sound back. I recall some clansmen telling me of elaborate tunnels where the sound is focused hundreds of feet away. I don't know how to design those myself but its a possibility.", rambled the dwarf.

"Hmmm...even if he warned us. How did he know the caravan was in trouble?", continued Halvor.

Kirgi stopped and paused at the question. He wasn't sure. He thought it might have been some sort of hero intuition, or perhaps some tiefling special power. Both sounded crazy so he kept those opinions to himself.

"More importantly , why did he turn blue? Was emenating some sort of cold power or shield at the time? Is it some sort of survival mechanism the tieflings in this world have? The ones from were I come from mostly create darkness, but there are those who develop other powers as well.", stated Petrus.

"To my knowledge, Zax grows ...errr hot when in combat. Not hot enough to shoot fire, but sufficiently hot to sear skin if he makes prolonged skin to skin contact. That's the only special tiefling powers he has , or at least that's what he told me.", explained Kirgi.

Halvor shrugged, "Well that explains why he would stomp on those troll bits, but why not use that flaming sword he has at his side? We all saw that magnificent blade when he dueled that knight in the tavern."

Adria chuckled,"Maybe it would be too easy. Maybe a great fearless hero like himself thought it would cheapen the victory if he relied on a readily available magical flaming sword. Why make it easy, when he could endanger innocents by using his special tiefling powers to defeat his foes. Only 4 guards and 2 merchants died, and another dozen injured, that's a small price to pay for his glorious victory today. He probably ran away to test us too. See if we would stand fast against the trolls exiting the cave even after it appeared he fled like a craven coward. A test to see if we are worthy to associate with him. He turned blue, like some species of fighting fish turn red to warn his opponents as well, not because he drank an invisibility potion that failed to work. Everything worked according to the clever tiefling's plan, any semblance of serendipity is wholly coincidental.", said the normal quiet and passive eidolon sarcastically.

"That makes sense to me.", said Kirgi with a smile, completely missing the point of Adria's speech. The dwarf liked simple answers, even improbable ones.

Petrus sensed the strange agitation his eidolon was experiencing and signaled for her to calm down. She appeared ready to strike down the dwarf but bowed and stepped back into the background. "Regardless of the events that happened, we should be concerned with what to do next. I suggest Kirgi , Adria and myself retrieve any treasure in the troll lair, as well as to dispatch any surving monsters. Halvor can reorganize the guards, and reassure the merchants that we are doing our duty."

Halvor sighed but reluctantly agreed. The big knight rather be out with his fellows slaying more trolls, but knew where his talents lied. He was trained as a noble man before he learned the arts of war. He could administer a barony as effortlessly as some people sharpened a blade. Despite their victory, the merchants will start questioning their safety if all their protectors left again.

Kirgi smiled and bounded up the mountain trail back to the troll lair. The days battle did not seem to wear down the dwarf. Petrus on the other hand, needed assistance from Adria to once again climb the treacherous mountain path. Halvor began organizing the guard and the surviving merchants.

As the big knight was organizing his orders, he noticed Zax was still unmoved from when he last saw him . The victorious tiefling was cheering with bluster and pride when the big knight and his companions returned. Halvor could understand his pride in the victory and felt a bit of jealousy towards his companion, especially the attention he was getting from the merchants. The cheering stopped however when the Lady Sharliss sauntered up to him, and dropped her silk handkerchief infront of him. The tiefling stopped and stared at the piece of fabric on the ground, and seemed lost in thought.

Halvor rolled his eyes wondering what Zax was thinking at the moment. It was what his old sergeant of arms called a "no brainer". The lady Sharliss was not only the most noble woman but most likely the most beautiful woman that Halvor had ever met , to attract her attention after the battle was not to be unexpected. The knight dreamed of being in Zax's position at that moment, but the tiefling just stared blankly.

"Maybe he's internalizing a soliloquy or composing a sonnet or speech.", thought the big knight with a disappointed shrug.

* * *

><p>For a moment , all of Zax's worries had disappeared. The cheering of crowds seemed to have that affect on him. He was loathe to admit it, but he was a consummate attention whore. He loved being in the center of attention , and the benefits that it gave.<p>

He wasn't sure why he jumped into the fray. It would have been better if he stayed hidden on the ledge. Something snapped in him he thought, else he would never have attacked that troll single handedly. Maybe he knew he was next if Chins and his companions failed. It was just a matter of survival thought the tiefling. If the caravan fell, there would be little chance he could recover his horse and ride off. The most likely scenario would be the trolls tracking him down and eating him afterwards. His escape plan depended heavily on "another mobile target" to distract his pursuers.

He also wasn't sure how he destroyed that troll. The creature seemed paralyzed as he slashed and stabbed at the monster with his rapier. He knew he possessed a fearsome reputation, but in the past it served him poorly in an actual fight. Sure , it dissuaded many opponents from challenging him in the first place, but once a battle began his reputation was a poor shield to hide behind. If anything , it made his opponents less likely to underestimate him. Zax knew his reflexes were faster then a normal soldiers, but didn't think he could strike down a troll before it could move a muscle. Maybe the creature's reputations were overblown. Kirgi said he killed a troll, and Zax was still unimpressed with him. Even that Sarin or Chins guy and that maid Nymph or Nymk was slapping trolls around. Maybe trolls weren't as fearsome as the stories suggest.

Speaking of Chins and Nymph. Zax wasn't sure what to make of the two. The fat half elf was suppose to be a body guard of some sort and the pretty maid was of barbarian stock, but the tiefling hadn't expected them to bear the brunt of the battle. If trolls were as wimpy as he thought, then that explained many things, however it didn't explain why the guards fell so easily to the trolls . Maybe the guards they hired were just terrible. Zax had sparred with a few, and found them equal to most of the soldiers he served with. Halvor mentioned he hand picked these men and he doubt the big knight would hire buffoons. Zax came to the conclusion that the guards had probably weakened the trolls to the point that those two were able to give a good of account of themselves. The giant was unexpected as well, but Zax suspected it was an illusion of some sort, not the defenseless girl he rescued. His suspicions were confirmed after the battle when she disappeared. If the girl was involved , Zax would have spotted her.

All in all , despite the unanswered questions, everything seemed going well for Zax. Surviving a battle of trolls, weaklings or not, was always a good thing. Having the surviving guards and merchants cheer you as their hero was also a big bonus. Although he didn't really like Kirgi, he could hear the dwarf spin excuses for him to the rest of their companions. The tiefling chuckled as he heard the dwarf's tale. Supposedly he was aware of danger at the caravan and rushed to save civilians . Zax smiled and thought he owed the dwarf a beer if they ever got back to civilization.

He planned on hopping on his horse and running away ,but it seemed that his plan was ruined from the initial attack. Although the trolls were repulsed, that didn't stop them from smashing several wagons, and more importantly maiming a few horses. Zax's personal stallion was one of the fallen animals, and the tiefling had doubts any of the remaining draft animals could speed him back to town. It looked like he would have to tough it out with Halvor's stupid group after all.

After thinking back on the previous nights revelations, tempered by the cheering crowds, Zax wondered if he might have over reacted to the information of who Sharliss's mother was. That was a long time ago. Zax was a lot more mature then he was 2 years ago. He even looked older. Back then he looked like he was 13, now he could pass for maybe 16 maybe even 17. He knew tieflings physiology aged at strange variable rates, a side effect of their bizarre nature, maybe their emotional states were affected as well. The strange howls and the undead creature in the sewer would have certainly made Sharliss's mother seemed more frightening. That and his short ordeal as a statue would certainly have warped his memories. If Sharliss's mother was truly a creature of death and darkness out to get him, she could have certainly killed him a long time ago.

Zax attributed the whole past event as just a random panic attack. He would continue with the caravan , collect his riches, fulfill his quest, then return back to Lower Lueders triumphant. The tale of him slaying a band of trolls would surely count as a heroic deed or something for Lady Nayra's tax ruling. Soon things would be back to normal.

For a moment , all of Zax's worries had disappeared.

Then of course , they all came back crashing down on him.

The battle was long over when his companions returned. Kirgi was first, but the others followed soon after. The fact they didn't witness the fight, and most of the survivors ran away during the battle certainly helped the tiefling's reputation. Chins and Nymph didn't seem to object to the story spun by the surviving guards. The illusionary giant had vanished as well. Zax thought it might have been the small girl he recovered, but he dismissed those thoughts as too far fetched. It was most likely an illusion cast by Sharliss or maybe that Chins guy. He was part elf , and didn't all elves have magical powers?

As Zax basked in his praise, reality struck. The beautiful Sharliss sauntered up to him , smiled and dropped her handkerchief in front of him. It was clearly meant for him, and even Kirgi gave him a wink and a thumbs up to confirm it.

Vision's of the terrible yellow eyed darkness filled Zax's thoughts again. She wanted him to return to her. To finish off what her mother started almost two years ago. He knew Sharliss was a tiefling , the popular story was she was adopted by the Captain and his wife . That was of course nonsense. Sharliss's mother was obviously a demon of some sort, and they used the adoption story to cover up her spawn's parentage. It was a clever ruse, but Zax saw through it.

He wondered that horrible ways they would employ to drain him. Would it be fast? Or painfully slow. He heard some demons were disguised as beautiful women and would drain men as they were lost in sexual bliss. Was that Sharliss's favored tactic? Would his body become a drain husk and arise as a creature of darkness? Or maybe he would crumble to dust. Neither option was acceptable as Zax's mind turned towards the option of escape once again.

* * *

><p>"Bad dog! Bad dog!", said Sharliss with a smooth tone at the large reddish wolf.<p>

Freiki whined at the gentle scolding.

"We could have used you against the trolls,...where were you?", scolded the young priestess gently.

The large wolf began coughing and hacking and suddenly spat out a small leathery wing.

Nymk thought the two were almost comical if it weren't for the grisly trophy the half fiend girl picked up. She was still torn whether to trust this group or not, but the fact she fought with the half elf not once but twice weighed heavily in their favor. Battle was the truest form of testing relationships with her people. They said during the heat of battle you could see into your allie's and your foe's souls. Although she left her tribe a long time ago, she still believed in their teachings. Normally she would avoid or even slay half fiends, but she could find no fault in her host.

"Look Sarin! Seems the reason Freiki didn't aid us was he was busy .", said Sharliss with a smile at the wagging wolf.

"Hmm...looks like an imp, maybe a berbalang wing. Maybe there's a breach or something in Tranq. Seems your father crafts dimensions like everything else he does. Half assed. ", snorted the big half elf.

Nymk wasn't sure what they were talking about, but she could easily identify the wing. "Its a mephit wing. I'm going to guess ash from its dark flakey appearance. "

Sarin shrugged, it didn't really matter what type of creature it was from. He would have to enter Sharliss's world and made sure it was secure. The creature most likely accidentally found its way in , but the half elf had to make sure there wasn't any rends or holes in her little world. If there was, then it would have to be abandoned till someone could repair it.

As the paladin contemplated his actions, he noticed his charge staring out the wagon window. He knew what she was waiting for. She had dropped her handkerchief in front of that braggart Zax and expected it to be returned. That was several hours ago and he knew there was little chance of that happening. In a way he was relieved, it saved him the effort of slapping the orange twerp around, on the other hand he could sense the great disappointment in the young woman. Although she looked around 20, she was at heart just 6 or 7 years old. Sure, she aged rapidly, but he knew she never had a broken heart or a failed love affair before. Even though she was very mature and worldly for her "age", there were still many things in life she had yet to experience.

"Olen nälkää kun syömme?", said the almost forgotten young giant.

"She's hungry...I'm hungry too!", said Sarin . The half elf nodded at the giant, and the strange giantess smiled back. He could barely understand her, and had even more trouble speaking back to her. It was an ancient dialect of Jotun combined with an odd northern dialect. He knew her name was Isola or maybe Sula, but besides from that knew little of her past, despite her explanations. The paladin didn't know what to make of her, but she fought with them against the trolls so for now she was ok in his books.

Sharliss sighed and left her vigil at the window. "You're always hungry ! ", she said with a smile. The young priestess promptly sliced a loaf of bread and served it with a platter of spreads, fruits and meats. She then began heating up a pot of previously prepared stew .

"Do you need help? ", asked Nymk, " Its the least I could do after that battle ."

"Its fine.", smiled Sharliss, but Nymk could see the paladin scowl at her offer.

After the platters were promptly consumed, mostly by the Isula and Sarin, the priestess poured several bowls of stew for the group. The bowls were obviously expensive and of high quality, except for the paladins. She had brought an extra large mixing bowl to serve his stew in, and he didn't seem to mind.

Nymk saw that the half elf was the first to finish his meal, and then waited hungrily for the others to "finish". He first waited for Sharliss to be done, then politely asked to finish her stew. She nodded in response, and the large half elf almost teleported the remaining stew from her bowl to his as he quickly devoured the remaining food. He repeated the process with Isola and even with their pet wolf. Although she grew up with such behavior from her tribe, she hadn't expected it to see it from these soft civilized "milk drinkers".

After dinner, Sharliss returned to her window . Nymk knew of the handkerchief she dropped , but wasn't sure why Zax hadn't returned it yet. The swords woman was well versed in southern traditions . Even if he wasn't interested in her, he should still return it. It was considered a grave insult , almost a slap in the face if the article wasn't returned.

"Hei, olen Isola, kuka sinä olet?", said the giant unexpectedly at Nymk. The swords woman knew some giant as well, but could not comprehend her dialect. She looked around for help for the translation.

"She's introducing her self. Hi, I'm Isula, who are you or something?", said Sarin as he searched the wagon's cupboards for more food.

"Tallenna... hengenvetoon... Hän on ... Carm ...karme errr käärme.", replied the half elf as he pointed at Nynk. He then found some hidden dried fruit. He offered some to the others but promptly devoured their share, when they didn't answer fast enough.

"Errr...did you just call me a snake?", said Nymk in surprise. Although her grasp on Isula's language was weak, she could understand basic concepts if spoken slowly by Sarin.

The large paladin shrugged. It appeared he didn't care that his insult was discovered , "Something like that. I said you were a spy , and you keep own secrets."

"Stop making our guest uncomfortable!", said Sharliss from her window. The woman's voice was commanding, but still remained calm and gentle.

Isula sensed the tension in the room, but relaxed a bit when Freiki began licking her palms. The wolf tugged at her armor and seemed to direct her towards the corner of the wagon. The small giant relented and seemed curious to what the wolf wanted her to see. Suddenly the pair vanished.

Nymk looked in astonishment, but Sharliss and Sarin didn't react to the disappearance. Although the swords woman had encountered many strange and bizarre magics in her travel, the sight of a wolf and a small giant vanishing in front of her eyes still intrigued her. She was about to mention something, but felt the uneasy chill between her two hosts.

Sarin was the first to relent. " You're right.", he said to the young priestess. He turned to Nymk and bowed. "Sorry for calling you a ...snake or more correctly a spy ... I should learn to keep out of other's affairs. "

Sharliss shook her head. She respected her guardian, and didn't want to humble him in front of strangers. " I'm going out for some air. ", she said, no longer wanting to antagonize him , and tired of waiting for a suitor that would never come.

After the priestess left, Nymk shook her head, "No . It is I that should apologize. We fought together , you even saved my life against the hags, nursed me to health , and provided me with a berth on your caravan. I repay you by keeping secrets."

Sarin smirked,"Look...if you have secrets to keep its cool . I'm guessing you really are a spy or something so its Ok. No need to share secrets with us common rubes."

Nymk paid his protest no attention. "I've been dishonest with you, let me make amends. My tribesman are honorable people but my profession places me odds with their traditions. I consider myself more of a scout then a "spy", but I've been placed in a position that requires me to spread "falsehoods" . As a fellow warrior let me be at least honest with you. If you consider my goals incompatible with your moral compass I shall leave."

Sarin rolled his eyes. Women were always yakking , spilling their guts to him , regardless if he was interested or not. That curse of being so damn sexy he thought to himself. "I don't really care, but go on if it makes you feel better.", the large half elf said.

Nymk composed herself and took a deep breath. " To begin with , my name is really Nymk, in that respect I've told the truth. I've come to the south on orders from my lord to ensure that the Champion of the Husky is both worthy and safe."

"Wait...I thought you were spying on that Zax guy.", interrupted Sarin , now suddenly intrigued.

Nymk nodded,"Indeed. The Order of the Husky won much honor when the Great Host defeated Yeenoghu's horde several years ago. Sadly their numbers were decimated and only a handful survived. Their current leader, Sir Vasa, went on a quest to recruit more for their order. Sadly, it has come to our attention that he was recently slain...in a questionable manner ...in Grom City. From our records he recruited several knights in his travels before his death. With his death , the current knight commander of the order is promoted to intern Champion. "

"That would be ZAX?", laughed the large paladin, unable to hide his surprise at this ridiculous turn of events. "That little weasel is now the champion of some mighty northern order? Oh ...guess that cheapens the title for everyone else. No wonder you're spying on him, I bet you guys can't believe it either.", chuckled Sarin.

Nymk shook her head, "Its true, one of my orders was to challenge him and slay him , if I find him unworthy. However , despite his failings , I choose not to."

"WHAT? The guy's a braggart, liar, weasel, and a coward. He only fights when cornered, and he's the last guy I want to watch my back.", said the paladin in surprise.

"What you say has a ring of truth in it...however... He obviously has the reputation of a hero, I had my doubts so I arranged a test for him in Lower Lueders, he defeated the knight I set against him in honorable single combat, that should be enough to prove he's worthy to be at least considered to be intern champion. He also wields the sword "Dragon's Flame" , an artificat of great power. Finally , there are those in the other great orders who seek his death. I personally stopped an assassination attempt against him by eight hardened knights. If they met him in open battle, he would have been slain, but it seems their attempts at subterfuge are as clumsy as my own. I have my suspicions on their identity , but the fact that someone wants him dead means that I should definitely oppose them and keep him alive. Or...in the very least I should collect evidence of his death."

Sarin scratched his head. "If you're suppose to be some secret guardian angel or something, why don't you tell him? Wouldn't that be easier?", asked the large paladin.

"It would be easier, but my lord would not want to insult a potential ally. A champion of the north needs no assistance, to be given a "secret guardian angel", would be considered a grave insult. My lord would prefer me to operate from the shadows.", explained Nymk.

"Hmmm...so you're to keep him alive. I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess this has to do with the great host reforming. If he's a champion , that means he wields politcal power or something .", guessed Sarin.

"Correct ,the proper term is elector knight. The great host is gathering, but his services haven't been called upon yet. Traditionally the Husky has had similar ideologies to the faction that employs me, even if he doesn't actually vote, my lord would prefer to keep the threat of his vote active. There is a chance that his Order would be dissolved , or his championship stripped away if he's deemed unworthy, but that is up to the council of elector knights to decide. It might seem trivial or petty, but its not just political agendas that are in question here. A new Grand Champion, the course of battle against the giants, maybe the fate of the north hangs in the balance. My role in defending Zax maybe small, perhaps insignificant, but its something that must be done.", said Nymk in a small voice.

Sarin considered her words then nodded. He struck a chubby sweaty hand, and the swords woman proudly grasped it and shook it. "You're alright . Sorry for the snipes earlier.", apologized the paladin.

Nymk's light smile returned and she ran a finger playfully up the large half elves arm. "That's fine. Since we've fought together, maybe you should explain this whole set up you have here. Surely you're not just a simple body guard, escorting your mistress to some school . I don't mean to pry too much but your identity has to be more complex then that. I know she's Hush, daughter of the Warmaster, but I haven't heard anything about you. What's your story?"

Sarin took a deep breath, " My great grandfather is or was the terror of the north. Sir Hildraxel, evil incarnate. He's apparently one of the most evil and powerful men who ever lived. Amongst his accomplishments, he wiped out my great grandmother's tribe and even slew the god Yeenoghu when he didn't give him the proper respect. My grandmother is the Mistress of the Lion blade, the Knight Commander of the Lion and one of the greatest sorceresses in the land. My grandfather Fetch...he's an idiot. He's the Warmaster that you know so much about. My grandmother and Fetch had a little roll in the sack in the tundra or something years ago. Keeping up with that crass tradition my father had an affair with my mother. Incidentally those two sacked the pyramid of Dow Mow, they're secretly amongst the richest couple in Grom I think. Even richer then Father Ferdinand, Governor Kerr, and even that Master Clovis guy. I was raised in the temple of Linel where I followed my mother on various quests when I was young. Incidentally my mother is the only one I respect from my whacky family tree. This wagon is actually a portal to a few dimensions Hush's father...my grandfather made. They are called pocket dimensions but its handy to hide giant wolves...giants...a 15 foot bbq pit in. Recently I was told that I an the true slayer of the Avatar of Myleka. I'm not sure if I believe this , but that's what the soothsayer Father Ferdinand says. I was in the room at the time, but I was covered in bug bits from her magic at the time. He also says the goddesses that Myleka had previously imprisoned has given me gifts, but I've yet to get a single damn thing . Not that I'm complaining, that's not the paladin way. We do things cuz they're the right thing to do, not because we need fame or fortune. This is my first quest on my own . I wish to follow my mother's footsteps and become an Avenger of Linel, however my quest is a bit underwhelming I've been charged with keeping the young Hush safe.", drolled Sarin.

Nymk blinked at the half elf in disbelief.

"What? ", asked Sarin. "Yeah, I know the part of keeping Hush safe sounds kind of far fetched, but its the truth. Pretty lame quest eh?"

* * *

><p>It was getting dark, and the lights of the caravan were slowly going out. The battle earlier seemed a distant memory as Sharliss strolled around the camp.<p>

A guard waved at she passed and she returned his gesture with a simple but half hearted smile.

"What did you expect?", she thought to herself as the night cleared her mind. "Zax would come and sweep you off your feet? Shower you with kisses and profess his love?", the tiefling asked herself.

Sharliss sighed, that was a little girl's fanciful fantasy. She was a young adult now , but still had the thoughts of a young girl. Sister Wayland told her that her emotional state was equivalent to a woman of her physiological age, but there was still so much she hadn't experienced. That was one of the reason's she wanted to goto Grom City. To experience life to its fullest, to see the sights , to feel the world's hardships, to enjoy its earthly pleasures.

The priestess laughed to herself. "Such high aspirations", she thought. She set such high goals but couldn't get such a simple thing as a handsome boy to return her handkerchief to her. She thought she was maybe making too much out of it . Zax was just one boy there would be others. However it seemed the pair were so right for each other. She gave him her first kiss when he saved her from Myleka. They were both tieflings, both young, they even fought against the trolls together. She held the troll before her with her magic , as Zax tore it apart. They made a good team.

"Wow I'm pathetic ...I really am just a little girl at heart. Listen to me complain. I sound so...so foolish .", she chastised herself.

Although they were both tieflings, Sharliss knew they were both very different. Not just physically, but the way people treated them. Zax was a hero, people tolerated and even cheered him. Humans regarded Zax as "one of them", an example of how other tieflings should act. Although she never resented his position , she knew that other tieflings nicknamed others who emulated him as "Uncle Zaxs". Her own position in the tiefling community was a much more common situation. Although she was adopted into a rich , semi influential family, the other tieflings never held it against her. They knew the human's would have a hard time accepting her . Despite her wealth, education, even beauty, in the end she was just a monster in the human's eyes. Although she looked normal, that was far from the case. She had small twisted horns which she hid in her flowing hair, a tail which she took great pains to conceal in her dress. And 4 small vestigial wings which she painfully strapped to her back to prevent stares. It wasn't a proud way to live, but it prevented the stares . Sure there were those that accepted her, Sarin, Sister Wayland, her parents, some of their friends, but they were in the very small minority. She had no doubts that if her identity was revealed in the caravan they would come after her with pitchforks and torches. She wondered if that was why Zax didn't return to her , she noticed he acted differently when she revealed her nature. She didn't think it would make a difference, especially to a fellow tiefling, but maybe Zax knew something she didn't. Maybe the humans were right, they were monsters. Zax was able to redeem himself in their eyes but she hadn't . Who else but monsters would hide their identity so they can walk amongst humans. Vampires, werewolves, doppelgangers...tieflings. She always considered herself honest, but for all this time she had concealed her identify from others. Did that make herself a hypocrite? Worse yet, a delusional hypocrite?

A large mailed hand barred her path as Sharliss was mindlessly walking. "You dropped this.", said a deep voice as she realized the hand was holding her handkerchief.

Sharliss blinked as she saw it was the knight Halvor. "Thank...thank you.", she said blushing, not knowing what to say next.

Halvor smiled, "I know...I know...you were expecting Zax...but he's preoccupied or something. Doing something heroic I'm guessing. We're still in dangerous territory. I figure he thinks he has no time for beautiful maidens and that sort of thing. So I took it upon myself to return your favor. No need for thanks, I'm sure you'll get another opportunity when we're out of danger.", said the knight.

The priestess laughed at the humility of the knight. He took great pains to defend his friend, he was definitely not Zax. "I'm not sure if that's it. ". She wasn't sure why, but she brushed away her light blue hair revealing a small twisted horn. Perhaps it was her self reflection, perhaps she was tired of hiding, or maybe she was still just a small girl seeking attention.

Halvor suddenly stepped in front of her. She realized he was blocking the rest of the camp from viewing her. "Don't do that. Everyone will know you're a tiefling. They might get ...agitated. Zax is an exception, besides his skin , he's practically a human, other tieflings might not be ...accepted so readily."

Sharliss blushed and realized the thoughtless mistake she almost made, and thanked Koryis that Halvor was there to stop her. Suddenly a realization came to her. "Wait...you know I'm a tiefling ? I mean you knew before I revealed it?"

Halvor paused then nodded. "Well, not at first. You looked different from last I saw you. Last year , I spent my time in the arena quite often. Not as a fighter though, but a spectator. I'm ashamed to admit, but it wasn't to watch the fights. I saw a pretty young girl in the Insector cheering section. Although Insector is a famous gladiator, no one actually cheers for him except tieflings. Well, I made it a point to goto the arena whenever Insector fought, mainly to catch a glimpse of a certain light blue haired beauty.", he said with a hint of embarrassment.

Sharliss was taken back by the revelation, but her calm demeanor returned. "Well it seems I have a secret admirer. I assume you are one of the rare people that have no problems with tieflings then. "

"I grew up as a baron's son. My father told me to treat all tax paying citzens equally .", he said with a chuckle. " I treat tiefling's no differently then anyone else, why else would I hire Zax to guard our expedition. However ,in your case I am guiltiy of giving preferential treatment. I tend to treat beautiful women a little better then I do others."

Sharliss melted at his praise, but showed no outward sign from his words. "I'll admit I hate people who flatter needlessly, however please don't stop.". The two stood awkwardly as an uneasy silence settle between the two. Even though she invited him to continue to flatter her, Halvor was at a lost for words.

" I could hear your honeyed words all night , but its getting late, my guard will be worried.", she finally said.

Halvor sighed in agreement. "Very well. Get a good nights rest. We have much ground to make up for. We are almost at the end of our journey and I want to remain on schedule . " , said the knight reluctantly.

As the knight spun and began to walk away, a hand gripped his arm . Halvor turned and saw the young priestess in the night with an expectant look on her face. Although cloaked in darkness he could see her clear blue eyes and a nervous smile on her lips.

"You can't leave yet. You've returned my favor, therefore you get a reward. I think that's how it works right?", she said with an unsure voice.

Halvor didn't hesitate and kissed her deeply. The young girl grew weak in his arms and felt light headed from his embrace.

"I'm pretty sure that's how it works.", the knight said afterwards with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

"Man, that was a close one . ", thought Zax happily.

The tiefling shuddered at the vile fate that he avoided earlier that evening. It was a carefully laid trap, with honeyed bait as a lure. Sure Sharliss was a beautiful girl, but Zax knew better. Succubuses and sirens didn't capture their victims because of their personalities. No, it was with their supernatural good looks. Being a tiefling, he was a little more immune to this attack then most men. Tieflings as a whole were a rather ugly bunch. Regardless of the exact source of their heritage , the majority of them would have little work scaring crows with their looks. Lady Wayland explained once that tieflings born briefly during the 4th age and those of abyssal origins were often thought of as pretty or beautiful, but that was a very small minority. Even though Zax knew he was amongst one of the more passable members of his "race", the bottom line was that he charmed people more with his silver tongue then his dashing good looks. Tieflings and ugliness go hand in hand, and their lack of beauty was a good defense against the charms of a pretty young girl. He evaded being lured into the clutches of that bewitching seductress Sharliss, and was now making his way to Fort Grom, alone.

At least he thought he was going to Fort Grom. Besides Tornic , Zax knew very little of their exact route to Grom City. He knew there were various towns and forts along the way, but he wasn't exactly sure of their names. Fort Grom was just a name circled on the map. Zax didn't know how big it was or the amenities it provided, but at that point he didn't care. That was something Petrus , Halvor and Kirgi worried about. He was just there to round up business and to make people feel safe.

Zax paused as a twinge of regret struck him. Although he admitted to himself to be a coward, rogue, deceiver, and a scoundrel , he always thought of himself as trustworthy. That's how he built his buisness, an honest Grommish Crown for an honest days work. A little bit of showmanship and undeserved reputation never hurt anyone, the bottom line was he got the job done. The tiefling wondered if he should turn back. They paid him to protect them , but here he was running away. It went against everything his loose and questionable morals stood for.

"Heee Hawwww.", protested the pony as Zax paused in the road. The stubborn beast wanted to go forward, and Zax knew the creature was probably right. Being alive with broken principals was better then being dead with intact ones. He squeezed the sides of his mount, and the animal proceeded onwards.

Zax's initial plan was to have hopped on his own horse during the confusion with the trolls. That plan fell through when the trolls slew his mount. He briefly abandoned the idea, but the idea of falling into the clutches of Sharliss spurred him into action. Zax was nothing if not adaptable. He snuck out of camp with Kirgi's private dwarven war pony. The dwarf rarely rode him on his scouting missions, and Zax thought he wouldn't miss it much. The tiefling's world revolved around mounts. He knew the other animals were fit for nothing but pulling wagons. Dwarven war pony weren't that much faster then the draft horses, but they were prized for their endurance, strength, sure footing, and most importantly their ability not to be panicked. Zax had heard tales that the hardy beasts didn't panic even during combat or cave ins.

Just to be sure, Zax gave it some of his special "medicine". It was a blend he bought from the local druids. They used it to relieve the pain of sick animals, but Zax learned in controlled doses it kept animals extra calm. It served him well when the animals all went berserk in Lower Lueders a few years ago. He had the only carriage company that actually worked. Everyone else had to walk or use those pathetic rickshaws. The powder was a mixture of mainly dorf root and other herbs, the exact recipe was something the druids kept to themselves. However, besides the tax benefits of joining their grove, Zax was also given access to this potent powder. The archdruid didn't approve, but a few coins to one of the lesser initiates , especially the ones who had a weakness for ale and women, kept the tiefling with a good supply of the substance.

Zax was surprised at the quality of the pony's night vision. It was at least as good as his. The creature wandered fearlessly down the rocky path , carefully avoiding any holes or falls. The tiefling would be wary to use a normal horse at night on such a treacherous road, but this creature steadily pushed its way forwards.

"Good boy.", whispered Zax as the pair winded their way further away from the danger filled caravan. He snickered at the relative safety he was in. During his brief stint in the caravan, he fought, goblins, giants, trolls, and even escaped the dark beauty Sharliss. Out here by himself , it was smooth sailing. It was only him and his dwarven pony. He wondered about the wisdom of traveling in a caravan, it was slower then traveling by yourself and it made yourself a tempting target to monsters. Zax was sure that by yourself was safer.

"HOLD IT!", said a voice above him. Zax pulled the reigns of his pony as he scanned for the new voice. He didn't see anyone, but knew he could be hiding on the various mountain ledges around him.

The pony seemed to have been partially sleepwalking and took a few more steps forwards before it halted. An arrow thudded in front of Zax to express the voices displeasure.

"I SAID HOLD IT!", repeated the voice again.

Zax still didn't spot the archer, but he suddenly became aware of multiple figures closing in on him.

"I told you I saw movement down the road. ", said an elderly voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Good thing we set up this quick ambush, or I would've busted your head in for wasting my time.", returned a deeper more thuggish voice.

"Oh great...bandits..", thought Zax. One of the benefits of his heroic reputation was that bandits , thieves, highwaymen , and other rift raft avoided his carriages. Even if he wasn't actually driving it, the threat of his retribution kept the local scum away. Even before his heroic deeds , the various rogues tended to avoided him. Mainly because he was handy with a club, and wasn't afraid to scrap it out to defend what was his.

The tiefling calmly drew his dragon golem and aimed it casually in the air.

"Whoa..whoa...", said a bandit. The owner of the thuggish voice had drew closer with a lit torch. Zax saw he wore ill fitted armor, had a rusty sword and had a chubby piggish face. He looked a bit like Chins , except more sloven and obese. Next to him was a crouched long nosed man with a spear, and an elderly man with a lazy eye and a club . He still didn't see the archer, but that didn't matter.

"That wouldn't be wise my friend. There's 4 of us, and our archer has you covered. Just leave us your valuables, answer our questions, and we'll let you go on your merry way.", said Pigface.

"I don't think so...", said Zax haughtily, "Do you know who I am?"

Lazyeye stared at him with his one good eye,"Err...orange?", he finally replied.

"Besides that. I am Zax, the Hag Slayer, hero to Lower Lueders.", the tiefling proudly declared.

"I've heard of the hero Zax, you don't fit his description. He's suppose to be a dashing hero, wears orange, and wields fire with his hands. You sir are a kid, your skin maybe orange, and I see no sign of fire being tossed.", challenged Ratnose.

Zax chuckled, "You know, I've had a bad day and even worse night , normally I wouldn't lower myself to deal with vermin like yourself. However, today is free thrashing day. So whoever wants a beating first, please step up. I'll even give you a free helping of ass kicking if you want.", boasted the tiefling. Zax seemed happy with the way his threats came out, he wished he had a scribe or bard to record his witty comments.

Pigface seemed unimpressed, he waved Ratnose and Lazyeye forwards. Zax wasn't prepared for this, he was sure they would have ran by now. Apparently his reputation wasn't as formidable here as it was up north. He wondered if he could make it back to the caravan in time. As a final threat, he fired the dragongolem into the air, hoping it would scare the brigands away.

*BANGGG*

"AHHHHHHh...thump", cried a voice followed by a muffled thump.

Ratnose and Lazyeye stood in shock ,"He killed Clem. Shot him in the dark, didn't even look at him...", they whispered in fright. Zax was equally surprised, he only hoped to scare the bandits, and didn't realize he hit the archer.

Pigface wasn't impressed. He roared, and charged the tiefling on the pony. It was a short run, but the effort seemed to drain the fat out of shape man . Given the fact he was also wearing heavy ill fitted armor, Zax's attacker stumbled the last steps and gave a weak swing at the tiefling and his mount. It missed the tiefling but struck solidly on the pony's side.

The pony's nostrils flared angrily at the weak attack, and it spun to meet Pigface. It battered the man with a butt from his head. The out of breath man fell backwards, but the pony did not relent. It then proceeded to stomp him mercilessly with his iron shod hooves. Zax was shocked as the pony quickly reduced him to a bloody pulp.

"AHHHHHH!", cried Lazyeye as he ran away.

"Retreat ! ", yelled Ratnose as he followed.

Zax managed to call off the pony's attack, and rewarded the creature with a handful of his dorf root mixture. The pony snorted it happily , as Zax surveyed and looted the carnage. Pigface only had a few coins, and "Clem" had even less. Zax noted that there were no dragon golem marks on the man. Was the man surprised by the loud shot and fell accidentally from the sudden sound? The tiefling knew that dragon golems were only used by nobility and elite army units in the north, maybe these southerners had no experience dealing with dragon golems. Zax guessed these bandits were obviously poor, but looking at Pigface , he guessed they were well provisioned. The tiefling was repulsed by the violence before him, but he knew it was either them or him.

"Good pony. I guess dwarven war ponies live up to their street cred. ", said Zax as he patted the euphoric animal snorting his powder.

Zax saw an VIII branded on the pony, and saw the words "Buck" on the saddle. "Buckviii? ", he asked . The pony neighed and wave its head, partially from acknowledgement and partially from the powder the tiefling provided.

"Well Buckviii , lets be off. Who knows how many more bandits there are out here.", laughed Zax.

* * *

><p>Zax continued more cautiously towards Fort Grom. The tiefling had seen many forts in his brief army stint, but none this unique. It was a massive structure that was built on the side of a mountain. Zax guessed it was bigger then the castle in Tornic, but there were other differences as well. Mainly, unlike Tornic, there was no small town built around it. It was clearly a structure devoted to the military. The tiefling marveled at the size of the "fort" and thought Castle Grom or Stronghold Grom would have been a better name for it. Perhaps it was once a fort but it grew during the ages. Zax noted that he could see lights and fires from the fort, but it was mostly devoid of activity. The tiefling lost track of time, and wondered if it was because it was late at night.<p>

Zax proceeded to the main gate, and noted it was closed. That wasn't surprising, as most city and fortress gates were barred at night. He also noticed that the weeds were overgrown and the vines needed trimming. The tiefling sighed at the laziness of the garrison troops. While serving in the quartermaster section in the third army and then militia, weed pulling and light gardening was one of his duties. If they were in the third army, someone would be flogged for this lapse of hedge care.

Zax saw activity within the gates, and wondered if he should ask to be let in. He knew they would most likely say no, but he thought it wouldn't hurt to try. Asking and being rejected was better then staying outside for the night.

"Hey guys! Let me in! I'm the hero they call Zax. I've been on a long trip, I've fought goblins, giants, trolls, and even bandits. Give a guy a break ok?", he yelled.

The activity in the gatehouse stopped. An eerie silence filled the mountain pass.

"Look guys. I know you're in there. Don't be pricks ok? Else I'll get mad when I finally get in there. Trust me, you guys don't want to see what I'll do when I'm pissed off. ", the tiefling yelled. Not that he would do much. Zax thought he would be sure to give stern words to their captain, maybe raise his voice and make an uncomfortable ruckus. The tiefling knew exactly how far he could push authority figures without getting in trouble. It helped him when dealing with lazy guards, aloof tax collectors, and even a few minor nobles.

Suddenly the loud sounds of chains moving, caught the tiefling by surprise. Zax didn't expect the guards to actually open the door, but he was excited to see the massive gate open. Although there was no town around this fortress, Zax was sure there would at least be a tavern. Thoughts of a warm meal, maybe a game of cards, perhaps some soft company delighted the tiefling as he walked in.

As Zax rode in he saw a tall armored man wearing shiny scale mail, and another half dozen cloaked men with spears and other assorted weapons flanking him. They seemed to be barring his way in, but Zax wasn't too concern. They let him in , and now they want to get paid. That's how things worked in Grom.

Zax smiled as walked up to their leader. Zax couldn't see the man's rank but guessed he was at least a sergeant . The other soldiers seemed to tremble as he approached, but Zax just smiled as he rode up. Before anyone could react , Zax threw a small pouch of coins towards the man. The sound of rattling coins seemed to relieve the tension, and the tiefling smiled at the soldiers.

"Where can a guy get a drink, some food, and some wenches around here?", he asked with a hearty laugh. Zax actually didn't feel like laughing right now, he was just tired. However, that's what his public expected and he was happy to oblige. It set the tone immediately to how he was expected to be treated.

The leader stared at Zax confused as one of his men retrieved the pouch. Zax could hear him happily whisper something about silver and gold. Zax knew it took money to make money. Although it was a generous bribe, he knew the wheels it greased would make it worthwhile. There would be no dickering if he ever had to pay a bribe or deal with the local authorities.

"Samuel, get this...Zax...person wine, food, and a wench. ", said their leader . "It's late, I assume you have something to discuss. We'll have words later. "

Zax nodded in appreciation as "Samuel" approached. He didn't particularly wanted to talk to this leader guy, but obviously he was star struck. He most likely wanted an autograph or at least hear his tales. Zax knew that if this leader guy gave the appearance he was Zax's equal or at least his comrade then that would raise the morale of his troops. The tiefling didn't really care, but it was a small price to pay for not sleeping outside.

Sam was a thin man, with a chain shirt and a short sword. Zax noted he wore different armor then his leader. The uniforms and gear in the third army were fairly generic. Although the leaders often wore better equipment, it was plainly obvious what force they belong to . The soldiers in front of him wore various mismatched gear. He chalked it up to a poor quartermaster corp. Not enough people appreciated the challenges of working in such a unit.

"Errr...are you Zax...I mean that Zax? The great adventurer from up north? ", asked Sam.

Zax nodded, "I prefer the term hero. Adventurer is a term reserved for people who crawl around sewers and dungeons . Mercenaries that would do anything for a buck !", scoffed the tiefling.

Sam gulped, "You can wield fire? Are you a mage?", asked the nervous man.

Zax considered answering yes, but chose not to. It would be a pain pretending to be a magician , he still had various potions left , but he began to doubt their ability to function. Instead he spied a clump of dry weeds and grasped a few strands. He focused his simple tiefling power, and was delighted when the weeds erupted into flames. Small fires didn't hurt Zax, but he learned a bit of a flair for showmanship when it came to demonstrating his power. He held the fire contemptuously before him, and molded the weeds so they burned brightly before Sam. Before they consumed all the weeds though, he tightly grasped the fire, and snuffed it out .

Sam took a step back . He wanted a show, and Zax gave it to him.

"Now... I believe your boss told you to get me some drink, food , and wenches.", smiled the tiefling.

Sam led Zax into the inner keep after he stabled Buckviii. Although there wasn't a town built into this fort, the tiefling noted several stores built along the walls . Some had windows barred, others seemed to be in poor repair. Zax guessed the lack of caravans in the last year , had a crushing economic impact on the local merchants. He also noticed about a dozen bandits, hung or crucified outside the inner wall. Zax shook his head, even in an economic down turn bandits were still prevalent. The tiefling stared at the slain bandits, and noted with curiosity that they all wore similar outfits. The tiefling chuckled at how these bandits emulated the local gangs from Lower Lueders. Zax didn't see the sense of it though. Although similar dress and gang colors gave them a sense of camaraderie, it also let the local authorities pick you out from a crowd. If Zax ever took up banditry, he would be sure to wear something unassuming, so he could fade into the crowd.

The pair entered the inner keep, and Zax noted the lack of guards present. He also felt the sense that he was being watched, but saw no guards as he looked around. The place was quiet. In fact the place seemed empty, thrashed and looted, like a big rowdy party was held here. Zax knew the spring festival was approaching but knew it wouldn't be held for a few weeks. Unless of course they held it earlier down south. An uncommon but not rare occurrence. He knew the Knight nations held their day of Thanks during mid fall, while the Grommers of Northern Grom celebrated thanks in late fall. It never occurred to him, that central and northern Grom had similar off date practices. As Zax surveyed the debris around him, he chuckled at the clean up that would occur the next day.

"That must have been some party! Too bad I missed it.", he said as he scanned the destruction.

Sam looked at Zax confused, but then he smiled, "Oh yes, it was quite the victory. Arnim knew the slackers were slowly withdrawing their men. It was just a matter of time till we got someone on the inside. After that, it was an easy takeover. An of course, the wild looting and victory party afterwards."

Zax wasn't sure what Sam was talking about. He could only understand something about a victory party . Ahh...that must be it he thought. The local Lemball team won a great victory, and they thrashed the place while celebrating. Lemball had a following up north, but Zax preferred the more organized destruction of the coliseum . Down south, Lemball was the main draw, almost a religion. He heard tales of wild Lemball hooligans and mass riots, and the destruction around him confirmed it. Zax didn't particularly like Lemball and the mess around him didn't change his opinion.

Sam eventually brought Zax to a smashed up tavern. He found an undamaged chair and table for the tiefling to sit in and left to find some food and drink. Zax still had the feeling of being observed , but the thought of dinner eased his tensions. The tavern was smashed more then the other structures, but Zax knew if a riot started it would most likely originate from the tavern. He was still shocked that a military installation would allow such a riot to occur, but he figured these central Grommers took their lemball really seriously. It didn't take long till Sam returned with some crusty bread , cheese, dry meat and a bottle of wine. The meat and cheese were passable, the wine was actually quite good , but Zax thought the bread was several days if not a week old. Zax took pride in the fact he was able to get fresh bread delivered to the troops during his day with the quartermaster corp. This simple failure of logistics actually offended the tiefling. He wasn't the most dutiful soldier, and would normally let others failings pass without comment. This however was an insult to his military career . He would be sure to mention this to their leader.

"Err...what type of wench do you want?", asked Sam as the tiefling ate .

"Eh? I was expecting a waitress...you guys have a brothel or something here?",asked the tiefling in surprise. He didn't actually expected a wench, but the thought of a brothel in a military complex piqued his curiosity.

Sam nodded his head, "Something like that. The barmaid ...died recently . However we still have a nice selection to choose from. Most of them were guards, a bit lean and muscular for my taste, but we also have some pretty daughters and wives.", smiled the guard.

Zax was taken back. Truly the economic crisis has hit these people hard. He assumed a disease of some sort claimed the barmaid, maybe she despaired at her bleak surroundings and committed suicide. The army must have had to shed some extra troops. The people here turned to prostitution to make a living, even selling their own daughters and wives to get by. He had new respect for Halvor, Kirgi, and Petrus, surely the simple act of getting a caravan through the mountains meant more then making a simple buck. It was an economic life line.

Zax didn't feel like a wench after that somber thought hit him. The rates would probably be cheap,maybe even two for one, but the tiefling didn't want to take advantage of such a miserable and poor people. However he didn't want to offend his host.

"Surprise me.", he said glumly. Sam nodded and left, while Zax ate his meal. The tiefling planned to just pay the girl , maybe get a massage then goto sleep. He'll talk to their leader later. Zax had nothing against brothels or prostitutes, but he saw no reason in paying for something when he could get it for free. With his status as a hero, he guessed he should indulge the locals. If he wasn't going to sample their "wares" at least he had the good manners to pay for them.

Zax stopped as Sam returned. His host smiled cruely as he dragged a woman behind him. She looked pretty , the tiefling guessed elven. She had a battered look about her, and seemed to have trouble walking. More importantly she was dressed in the remnants of a guard uniform and was chained by her neck. Zax expected someone fat , or ugly from Sam but didn't expect such a beauty .

"She's a real looker, elven stock , but really feisty. Nothing a bad ass like you can't handle I reckon. Just slap her around if she gets out of hand. ", smiled Sam. The woman fell to the ground in front of Zax and he saw the bruises and welts on her barely clothed body. Zax looked at her battered form and then a sudden realization came to his head.

"Err Sam...are you guys bandits or something?", asked the tiefling tentatively.

Sam looked at Zax,"This is a joke right? Umm yeah. Didn't you notice the dead guards we hung outside, or the fact we thrashed this place? We even took the remaining women prisoners, to abuse at our leisure. Like c'm..."

Sam didn't manage to finish his sentence, as Zax smashed his face in with his club. He swiftly kicked Sam in the stomach and was happy to note that there was no reaction from him. His host was out cold .

The chained elf was as surprised as Sam from the tieflings sudden attack. She manage to scramble to her feet, and grabbed the short sword from Sam's belt. Zax guessed she was feigning her weakness, and waited for a chance to strike. Even if she managed to strike Sam down, the others would hunt her down. They would then kill her, or most likely torture her for her actions. The tiefling noted that she must have been desperate to have hatched such a plan.

"Thank you. You're not with them I take it. ", she said warily as she eyed the tiefling. "Sergent Darwen , First army, Grom Keep company.", she said in an embarrassed tone.

"Lieutenant Zax , Third army, Quartermaster Corp, currently Lower Lueder Reserves.", the tiefling responded automatically.

"Third army? ", Darwen said obviously confused.

Zax produced a cloak, and offered it to the grateful woman to cover up. "Yes, but I'm not with them at the moment. I'm by myself here. ", replied Zax.

*Clap , Clap* was the sound Zax heard behind him. Zax turned and saw the bandit leader with the scale mail step out of the air behind him. He had a long curved in one hand while his other hand glowed with blue energy. The sound of footsteps soon produced a dozen mismatched armored bandits as they filed through the tavern doors. Zax noted Ratnose and Lazyeye were amongst the last to enter.

Darwen crouched behind Zax, and the tiefling briefly wondered if she was a plant as well. The angry gaze she gave the bandit leader dispelled that thought as he turned to face his "obvious" foes.

"Well , I'll admit you had me confused. First you take out my patrol, then you demand entry . Afterwards you act all buddy like . I wasn't sure if you were a sell sword, some type of adventurer, a bandit, or just a crazy mountain man. It seems you're just plain stupid.", said the bandit leader mage with a cocky smile.

"You actually thought we were guards or something. HA HA...the cold air of Northern Grom must have froze your brain. We're the bad guys! We rape, pillage, and loot! Emphasis on the rape.", the bandit mage chuckled , which was followed a round of laughter from his comrades.

Zax felt Darwen poised to strike at his comments, but knew she would be a poor match against him. She was obviously beaten and unarmored. As well , there were at least a dozen of them. Who knows how many were still waiting outside.

"So , Zax the mighty, any last words before we beat the crap out of you? You're kind of thin...almost girly , maybe we'll throw you in our little harem, let the big boys play with you . However, you killed Clem. As useless as he was , he's was entertaining . Honor demands a painful death for you.", smiled the mage.

A moment of panic struck Zax, he considered falling to the ground pleading if he thought it would work. The fact he killed 2 maybe 3 of their fellows meant the chance of that action succeeding was small. The tiefling took a deep breath and summoned his hero swagger once again. If he was going down, he would be remembered as a hero. A failure of a hero, but a hero none the less.

"Look, you guys are surrounded as we speak. I'm just a scout. You don't think I was gonna invade your bandit base by myself.", the tiefling said with his arms folded.

"Hah...you just told that elf bitch that you were here alone. You can't fool us.", laughed the mage.

Zax would have face palmed himself but he knew he must not loose his composure. "When I meant I was alone. I meant alone in the fort. Small picture alone. I didn't mean big picture alone. My companions have already surrounded this fort , waiting to strike.", scoffed the tiefling at the bandit mage's laughter.

"Oh really? An unlikely story. I think you're just a wanderer who happened to beat my flat footed friend , and his out of shape buddy . I followed you as that dim witted Samuel lead you here. You clearly thought we were guards who had a wild party or something. Although the guards here were lax and undermanned, even they wouldn't have wild nights of debauchery like that. Although judging by how they fare in bed, I could be wrong" ,smirked the bandit mage. His comments clearly directed at Darwen.

The elf was ready to pounce, but Zax knew that would end badly for both of them. He waved her back, and he took a step forward. "Look, call me crazy if you like, but I assume Ratnose and Lazyeye told you I came from the northern path."

The men in the tavern all laughed at Zax's nicknames for their comrades, except of course the bandit leader , Ratnose and Lazyeye.

"We both know the roads been closed due to demons, goblins, trolls, and the odd giant. If I'm a crazy guy then I must be crazy as a fox to make my way through them. ", said Zax coolly.

The laughter died down, as the bandits considered his statements. "You could have snuck past them. ", shouted Ratnose.

"Sneak past them on a pony? I think not. I prefer a more direct approach. Deadly force applied with lethal precision. ", the tiefling boasted.

"Enough! Kill him. If the elf resists kill her too. ", the mage said. Clearly growing tired of this little verbal game.

His men took a few steps but hesitated. Before he could spur them to action Zax interrupted.

"Looks like your boys believe my story over yours. If I'm a mad man, how about indulging me with a little duel.", smiled Zax. The tiefling actually wanted nothing of the sort, but one on one was a hell lot better then thirteen to one. Also , they might relocate the fight outside, he would have a higher chance to escape if that happened. He was hoping Darwen would fight or at least run, providing a distraction for his getaway.

The bandit leader hesitated but also saw the reluctance of his men. He knew if he refused the request, his men would be harder to control after this. He sized up the tiefling and found him unimposing. He was short, thin and had an odd mismatch of weapons. A rapier, club, and a strange wand. He couldn't see armor, but assumed he wore at least a chain shirt under his garb. He knew tieflings had the ability to create magical darkness, but was confident his magic could dispel such an attack.

"Agreed. We'll battle outside in the courtyard . For all my men to see.", said the leader with a snarl.

Zax breathed a sigh of relief. He went to help up the confused Darwen, and whispered in her ear. "Be ready to run on my signal."


	11. Chapter 11

Zax was surprised at the speed and the force of the beating he took.

He was even more shocked that his delusional mind didn't have time to reinterpret the events with him as the hero. He recalled circling the bandit leader, Arnim or something he thought. After exchanging some quips with the man, he saw an opening in their defenses. He yelled for Darwen to run and then turned and bolted in the presumed opposite direction. He hoped that the fleeing elf would give him the opportunity to slip their grasp, run to his pony, then high tail it out of this bandit camp.

Instead, the bandit leader used some type of magic on him. It felt like he was picked up and slammed to the ground. As the bandit leader advanced towards him to finish him off, something strange happened. For a second Zax felt a cold rage and power course through his limbs. He knew he could slay the bandit mage , slaughter his band, even destroy this pitiful excuse for a fortress. As Arnim approached he began to taunt Zax about how he was going to spare him, make him fight wolves or his prisoners for his amusement. Just as quickly as the power seized him, it vanished again. The tiefling recalled being confused by the strange sensation , just before the boots and kicks started to rain on his thin frame.

Zax had received his share of beatings as a youth on the mean streets of Lower Lueders, but he hadn't received one recently. He curled into a ball , and was glad he didn't initially cry out or blubber in pain. After about a minute or two of the stompings, the bandits descended on him. He felt his weapons taken, potion belt grabbed, his armor stripped, even his magical satchel stolen. Then to add even more insult they began ridiculing his pathetic combat skills. Zax didn't mind , as long as the beatings stopped. Sadly that was not the case, someone started again with a kick , then someone else joined with a stomp, and soon he lost his composure and his consciousness again.

* * *

><p>A groan escaped the tiefling's lips as he wondered if he was dead.<p>

"Nope...not dead yet. I'm in too much pain to be dead. ", thought the tiefling. Although it was a macho motto he heard often from head strong warriors, Zax had hoped this axiom was true. For some reason, he knew he would die violently one day, and hoped he wouldn't spend eternity in the afterlife with a dagger in his gut or a horseshoe crushing his spine.

A gentle hand stroked Zax's hair. It was a sensation which reminded Zax of a pleasant forest breeze. The tiefling wondered if he was in Elysium or where ever his raced ended up. Zax was not very religious but he occasionally tithed to the church or Koryis, and he directed his prayers to that particular deity. Not that he followed his teachings, but because the holy woman that rescued him when he was young belonged to that order. Zax just felt it was a debt he owed.

Zax wavered in and out of the darkness, but the persistent touch brought him back to his senses. He opened his blurry eyes and saw he was in a dark cell. He knew he suffered a dreadful beating and wondered if any bones were broken. As his vision focuses he found his head resting in the lap of the beautiful elf that he tried to sacrifice earlier. She looked at him with sorrow in her eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I tried to run , but my ankle was twisted. I made it three steps before the one you called Ratnose tripped me up. I'm not sure what happened next, but I saw them start beating you savagely. ", she said with a sigh.

Zax tried to smile, but instead coughed up a ball of congealed blood. He knew that wasn't good news but he kept up a cheerful attitude. "That's OK. I've been through worse. I guess I'm not that much of a hero."

The tiefling knew that was only partially true. He hadn't been through worse, and he wasn't a hero at all. He guessed from Arnim's threats that he was going to die soon anyways, so he might as well take advantage of this situation. If he was gonig to die, at least he'll be in the arms of an attractive elf. Zax always thought elves oddly beautiful. Even the large halfelves had a strange alien appeal to them. Maybe it was because the strange nature gods crafted these pointy eared , lithe creatures into beautiful forms. While whatever dark forces that govern his people made the equally pointy eared tieflings hideous and often deformed. Even his own people thought themselves as ugly. Zax pondered that for a second then let it pass, he had more important things to worry about at the moment.

The elf looked at the tiefling in her lap and gently continued to stoke his hair again. "Its fine. You gave that brute Samuel a thrashing...and you tried . That's hero enough for me. " , she whispered to Zax.

"So...Darywn was it? That's a lovely name you know. I always thought elvish was a beautiful language. ", said Zax ignoring his injuries.

The elf smiled, "That's Darwen. Thank you, it is a beautiful tongue. ...I just wished I studied it more when I was young. I wouldn't be in this mess.", she said with a frown.

Zax thought even frowning with a welt on her lips, the elf was a lovely sight. "If only she had bigger breasts , then I would be in heaven."

Zax paused at that thought. "Wait...what if she or he's a dude. ", the tiefling wondered. Telling the differences between half elves was quite obvious due to their extra weight, but pure elves were a different matter because of their androgynous nature. He heard of many tavern tales of a hero being seduced by what he thought was an elven princess who later turned out to be an elven prince. Although the bandits kept Darwen for their own pleasure, that might have just meant he was captured by queer bandits.

"Care to tell me what happened? We have a bit of time I think.", said Zax. The tiefling didn't want to blurt out the obvious question, but figured he would get enough hints if he got her/he to keep talking.

Darwen sighed," I grew up as an elven refugee. I have little knowledge of my people or their birthright. I just knew that their entire tribe was destroyed. My parents fled from the great scourge and ended up in Grom City. They did their best, and provided with me a decent upbringing, but I was poorly trained in some aspects of my heritage. Of my people I only know they were from up north , Ice Elves or Snow elves or something. A great evil descended on them, slew the royal family and scattered my people to the wind. Besides the language, some skill with the blade and magic, my knowledge of elven customs ...is embarrassingly lacking. It didn't bother me though. I find that one's destiny lies before you not behind you. A few weeks ago, I received a letter from one of the elders of my displaced tribe. It mentioned something about reformation of the tribe, a great tree or something. It was full of poetry and prose, but it was basically a summons to return north.", the elf said.

Zax stopped listening to the exact tale awhile ago, instead he was concentrating on discerning the gender of his host. He knew looking for an adam's apple was useless with elves, and sadly saw no signs of pronounced breasts. He looked at this strange creature and wondered why he was so attracted to it. Was it an innate magical ability they had? Or was he just following popular culture , in equating elves with beauty.

Darwen continued his/her tale. " Initially I scoffed at it, but I heard many other displaced Snow Elves were responding to the summons. Although there are more Snow Elves in Northern Grom , the ones in Central Grom have a tight social network. Soon I found all my friends leaving and obeying the summons. I don't consider myself a follower of the pack, but I found myself longing to join them. I requested and received a leave of absence from my commander and was waiting to be relieved. Most sea travel to the north has been closed by the threat of giant raids, but I managed to book passage on one of the last boats to the north. Sadly before I was relieved , our fortress was betrayed by Arnim. ", the elf said with downcast eyes.

"Still no luck .", though Zax. "It...must be hard to be alone. Being an elf in a human country can't be easy. With all your kinfolk gone it must be even harder.", the tiefling said trying to continue the conversation.

Darwen paused and gave a gentle smile to Zax, "Thank you for your compassion. Although there are other elves who live here, I do feel the pain of being the last maiden of the Snow elves in Central Grom."

"Jackpot! Score...! GOAAALLL! Let the chase begin!", thought Zax happily.

"Are you OK? You seem ...very happy all of a sudden for some reason.", said Darwen with some confusion. Zax knew he let some of his emotion slip , but that didn't matter. He was going to get some action from this elf before the bandits execute him. If he was gonna die, he was gonna be well serviced. Nothing like taking advantage of someone with no hope .

Suddenly Zax's thoughts stopped . Was this what he wanted? When he was struggling in the slums of Lower Lueders, he always cursed at the rich merchants who earned their fortunes on the backs of others. When he started his carriage business, he made sure he paid and treated his drivers fairly. He hated those vultures that preyed on the weak, but wasn't that what he was doing now? Zax thought about it, and wondered about all the times he was willing to sacrifice Kirgi for his own hide. Sure , those were life and death situations and they never worked out for Zax, but was it the right thing to do? Even worse was what he was attempting to do right now, he was about to seduce an elf ,who had basically given up hope, with his false reputation as a hero. Had he sunk that low ? When he was first praised as a hero, Zax felt pride in his accomplishments. He had first helped stopped the black carriage murderer, then he slew some crazy hag. Zax knew right away the praise was undeserved but it brought him some joy that he did something good, and was even inspiring people Somewhere along the way, he took the one thing good he ever accomplished and perverted it to something he could make money, open doors...and take advantage of women with. Was that the legacy of his fame? To be able to screw banged up , desperate women who have given up all hope in prison?

"Are you OK?", asked Darwen again. She became worried when the tieflings eye's glazed over seemingly deep in thought.

"I...Look, I'm sorry . Don't blame yourself for my failed attempt to escape. I tried to sacrifice you back there so I could save my own hide. I'm not a hero. I'm a just a big mouthed idiot who's gonna be killed soon. ", said Zax as he rose from her lap.

Darwen looked at Zax in surprise.

"Look. I know its hard to believe. I cut a dashing image I admit , well I did before they beat and stripped me of my stuff, but I'm just a hopeless carriage driver . I apologize for giving you false hope in an escape. I'm not a very honest person, but at least I can die with a tiny shred of dignity now.", sighed the tiefling.

Darwen shook her head and pointed at Zax's belt. Zax followed the direction her finger pointed and was startled to see his longsword at his side.

"Why did they leave you with that? ", asked the elf.

"Oh...this thing. It's stuck ...no wait. It's not stuck. I manage to unsheathe it a couple weeks ago, but haven't done it since.", explained Zax slightly confused. "Wait..wait ...now I remember ..the darkness gave it to me. I think."

Darwen motioned for permission to examine the sword, and Zax nodded in approval. She unstrapped the sword from his belt and marveled at its scabbard.

"Its...its exquisite. The detail on it is amazing. ", said the elf as she looked at it down different angles . Zax shrugged, and knew it was intricate but wasn't made from silver, gold or jewels. Just a lot of old carvings.

Suddenly the elves eyes glowed white, and she focused on the blade. Zax felt tense, before recognizing it as a minor spell of some sort. He recalled Darwen mentioning she learned some magical arts, and it shouldn't have surprised him that she still had some magical powers left. He deduced they couldn't be that powerful , else she would have escaped by now.

"Amazing...it doesn't detect magical, although it must be . The designs on this blade...I've seen them before. You said...the darkness gave it to you?", said the elf still in surprise.

Zax nodded, "Yeah. I saved her daughter or something. I didn't do that much really. I just shot a hag, it lost its balance and it fell over the balcony. Could have happened to anyone. ", said the tiefling with a slight swagger. Although he tried to be honest with the elf, he couldn't resist to add a bit of self promoting humbleness to his speech.

"Remember when I told you I study the path of the sword and magic. Its an ancient elven skill called blade singing. It lets us combine magic and swordsmanship together into a deadly and beautiful art. One of the things I learned from my discipline was the lore of the ancient blades. This particular blade I believe is called "Dragon's Flame." . I normally wouldn't have recalled something that obscure, but a few years ago we caught a disguised snakeman trying to infiltrate the fort. Amongst his notes and possessions was a note, with an etching of this blade on it. It was written on a language I did not understand. My commander told me to investigate, and I was in charge of going to Grom City to decipher it. Fortunately I found a sage who was well versed in this bizarre tongue. Aklo or something. She said it was the sword "Dragon's flame. " , and the snakemen were seeking its owner. A woman with golden skin, red hair, yellow eyes. They call her " The Dancer of the Dragon's Flame", or the avatar of entropy. "

"Yup. That's her!", interrupted Zax. " Oh sorry...I didn't mean to interrupt, but that's the best description of Captain Fetch's wife I heard. Don't mind me...please continue. "

"Even though it doesn't detect as magical. It must surely be that blade. It's magic is so great it can hide its presence, even from looting bandits and simple divination spells. ", said the elf as she admired the sheathed blade.

"You know, that makes some sense. Often I forget that I'm even wearing it. Too bad its impossible to unsheathe. Just my luck to find out I have some super bad ass sword, but I can't actually wield it, let alone unsheathe it. I guess I could use it as a club or something. ", said Zax with a shrug. As a point of demonstration, he took the blade from Darwen and attempted to draw it again. He struggled briefly but stopped when he felt the bruises on his body flare in pain.

Darwen took the blade again and marveled at its design. She turned to Zax and to the tieflings surprise bowed. "Thank you Zax. I might be a failure as an elf and a soldier, but I can die with some pride as a bladesinger. To be able to hold this weapon...This weapon is much greater then the 9 Blades or the swords of the Wind Dukes. Getting the chance to hold Dragon's Flame ...its like holding Excalibur, the Sword of Kas, Lady Galatea, or the Black Blade. I can't express my gratitude , its brought joy to my miserable existence."

For a second, Zax thought of taking this elf right then and there. He was sure he could get some elf on tiefling action from this "grateful " elf. A pang of regret stopped him though. " Look, its been useless to me. You keep it. Its the least I can do for trying to sacrifice you to save my own hide.", apologized the tiefling.

Darwen stared at Zax in shock,"Really? Do you really mean it? ", the elf asked. The tiefling slumped to a corner and nodded.

"Thank you Zax, I can never repay you for this. It's almost laughable but here I am in a dungeon with no chance of escape, then I find what most bladesingers spend a life time seeking but never finding, one of the ancient blades of power. I guess its kind of fitting considering the luck I've been having. My tribe scattered, my people all left, my post overrun by bandits capturing and usin...".

She let the last part hang, as sadness over took her. The two sat in silence in the cell for a while, when the elf suddenly spoke again. "Its just my luck to be given this magnificent blade now. A blade so great that no once can wield. ". Darwen took a deep breath and grasped the scabbard and hilt. To her and Zax's amazement, the sword smoothly slid out of the scabbard. Zax only saw it briefly, but was surprised at its terrible beauty. Three and a half feet of runic light red metal, with a sheen of cold flame surrounding it.

The two stared at it in stunned silence . Its might and beauty were hypnotizing . Zax didn't even seem to be concerned how unfair it was. How he couldn't wield this sword, but some stranger could draw it on the first try. He just gaped at it in wonder.

After what seemed like an eternity staring at the blade. Darwen swung the blade effortless and marveled at its perfect balance . She sliced the chains at her neck effortlessly, and with a single swipe she bisected the door of the cell. Zax was still stunned as she motioned for him to remain still and silent. She crouched and stalked out of the cell.

"Well, at least someone got some use out of that damn thing. ", thought Zax. He wasn't sure, but he felt relieved as it left. Some hope flared in his heart. Maybe Darwen could slay the remaining bandits, then he'll leave on Buckviii and flee to Grom City. The last link to the darkness severed forever.

As Zax happily waited in the darkness, Darwen suddenly returned to the cell with a slump in her shoulders. She walked up to Zax, and for a second the tiefling thought she remembered the deception he pulled on her. Did she return to slay him for his cowardice? He cringed as he closed his eyes as he braced for the blow.

"I tried to free the other prisoners, but I can't . It's yours. Thank you for giving me this blade , but it already has a master. ", said the elf softly. Zax opened his eyes, and saw the elf kneeling , while presenting him with the flaming sword.

An awkward silence fell between the two as Zax was hesitant to grab it.

"Its yours...it won't allow me to get more then 30 paces without forcing me to return it.", Darwen said out of the corner of her mouth. "For Correllon's sake grab it and free the other prisoners , its uncomfortable kneeling like this."

Zax slowly grasped the blade. and for some unknown reason he sheathed it and strapped it back to his belt. Strength flowed through him as he forgot his injuries as he rose to his feet. He was free, with a magical sword , and an elven bladesinger in tow. Arsnot or whatever his name was, won the first time, but it was time for round two.

"Its PAYBACK TIME!", said Zax confidently. To accent his declaration he grasped the blade and tried to draw it. The blade resisted his pull. He tried again as he grasped and spun around trying to draw it. He wondered if he was doing it wrong, maybe he had to do it at a correct angle. He took both hands and started to yank it vigorously. When that didn't work , he tried pressing the scabbard against the wall and then yanked to no effect again. Dahana looked at him with embarrassment and grasped the blade while the tiefling held the scabbard. The pair of them struggled but couldn't free the sword.

"Pull it real fast. ", said Zax . The elf nodded and the pair tried to "surprise" Dragon's Flame with their efforts. .

"This isn't working. You pull , I'll yank.", said the elf in frustration. The pair once again struggled but to no avail.

"Harder! Harder! ", she demanded but to no avail.

"Let's switch position.", said Zax as he directed the elf so they were back to back. Zax grasped the hilt and leaned forwards, while Darwen grabbed the hilt and did the same. The pair heave and strained but they had no luck drawing the blade. Dahana even tried to lubricate the blade first by spitting at then by licking the rim of the scabbard. Maybe the red flames of the sword burned up the weapons lubricants. The effort brought them no closer to success.

"You drew it before. I'll sit back and watch while you try it by yourself.", sighed Zax. Even though it was his idea, he secretly hoped it wouldn't work ,it would be embarrassing to own a sword only others could draw. As Darwen took the blade , he found himself surprised that he was disappointed when she couldn't draw it again. After struggling and twisting it for awhile, Zax waved the elf towards him and he took the sword from her.

Zax smirked as he thought how stupid the entire situation was. An artifact sword at his side but no one could draw it. Maybe a person could draw the blade just once in their lifetime. That would explain how he drew it against the knight in the duel , and how Darwen drew the blade before. Maybe if he escaped he would seek out a sage to divine the exact nature of this weapon , but for now he other worries.

"Ok, so we can't draw the blade. Let's get out of here. We might not be able to free the other prisoners, but I know some guys who might be able to. ", said Zax.

"Agreed. We should sneak out of here while its still dark. Before the other prisoners think we're fooling around or something. ", the elf said with a rare smile.

* * *

><p>As the pair crept out of the jail, Zax noticed that although their spirits were bolstered, their wounds were untouched. The tiefling and elf retrieved some discarded weapons as they made their way to the main level. The pair both were armed with a short sword and a bow. Zax marveled at the weapons the First Army were given, back north they were given a club and a sling, and they were happy about it.<p>

Darwen explained their best chance of escape was to reach the highest point of the inner wall and slide down the slope. Although scaling the mountain was near impossible, sliding down was feasible. Zax recalled the steep mountain and wondered if his guide was stricken by suicidal thoughts, from her ordeal. He knew elves were very dextrous and nimble but sliding down the steep mountain seemed a death sentence to him. Fighting bandits seemed a more realistic option to him.

When they reached the courtyard, Zax saw that the bandits were lax with their guards. He could only see three huddled around a fire. From their conversation , it appeared they've been drinking. The tiefling couldn't make out what they were saying but was thankful they were preoccupied.

Darwen motioned for Zax to stay. The tiefling thought they should stay together, but before he could protest she had vanished from sight. Even with his superior darkvision , Zax lost track of the quick elf.

"Did you guys hear something?", said one of the bandits. Zax froze as he realized they were discovered. This was going to be the shortest escape attempt ever. They will be back in the cell soon, if they let him live. Maybe they won't notice him. As they dragged Darwen kicking and screaming into the cell, he could escape to warn the caravan . If they caught him they would most likely kill him, but if they caught the elf that was a different story. Zax reasoned they wouldn't kill her , she would most likely be slapped around . Unlike himself, the bandits could still get some use from the elfs body.

Zax stopped , and suddenly he felt very low and small. He knew he was a coward , but he surprised himself at how craven he could get. The tiefling took a deep breath and stepped out into the courtyard. Perhaps Darwen could escape in the confusion.

"Well look what we have here. Its Mr. Bigmouth in the flesh.", said one of the bandits. Zax saw it was the one he nicknamed Ratnose. Next to him was Lazyeye and another unnamed bandit. The third one looked kind of stupid, but Zax knew he was still over matched.

Zax stood straight and drew his club. "You know, I've had a pretty bad night , normally I wouldn't lower myself to deal with vermin like yourself. However, this evening is free thrashing night. So whoever wants a beating first, please step up. I'll even give you a free helping of ass kicking if you want.", boasted the tiefling.

Stupidface took a step back as Zax's threat seemed to work. Ratnose and Lazyeye however looked at him in shock. "You used that one before. Don't you have new material?", they said together.

Zax grew red, even with his orange skin the bandits could tell he was shamed. " Ooops, sorry. Hey guys, how about you let me go. I'm not poor . I can pay a ransom."

Stupidface laughed, "Yeah right. Do we look like idiots?" Ratnose and Lazyeye shrugged but let their companion continue to speak. " We won't be here that long. When Arnim returns , we can take our loot and bugger off! For now, we just want you and the girls for sport. "

"ERr I thought Arnim was your boss. ", asked Zax.

"Ehh? Arnim's a dworf. Our boss is Fredrick . No matter, we'll just tell Freddy we killed the prisoner while he was escaping.", explained Stupidface.

"I wanted to kill him earlier. For giving us those lame nicknames. You know how long its gonna be before they stop calling me Ratcheeks.", said Ratnose, while Lazyeye nodded in agreement.

"That's Ratnose.", said Zax. He knew he should have kept quiet but if he was going to die, he might as well get a final jab in. Ratnose grew red from the comment and was the first to charge.

Zax considered drawing the bow, but knew he wasn't proficient in it. He tried using one at the druid camp before, he was laughed at by the ranger's for his terrible aim. It took hundreds of hours of practice to become proficient with such a weapon, something Zax never took the time to accomplish. He preferred the rapier or the club to the shortsword he had, but he readied it as he braced for the attack.

Zax wasn't sure what happened but Ratface took 5 steps before he crashed sideways into the ground. His attacker clutched his leg in pain , as the tiefling noticed a black arrow protruding from his hip. Stupidface and Lazyeye paused, but their hesitation proved to be their mistake. Before they could react another black arrow struck Lazyeye squarely in the chest. Stupidface turned and began to ran , but a third arrow struck him through the neck.

Ratface was in shock, and hadn't begun to scream yet, but Zax knew it was only a matter of time. The tiefling bounded towards the fallen bandit and slashed his sword through his neck. The bandit stared at him and gurgled before passing away.

Zax stood over the three slain bandits. He knew Darwen was a bladesinger, but was happily surprised that she did not forsake her people's infamous skill with the bow. He admired her aim, the first against the moving target was the toughest, but the other 2 shots were equally deadly. The tiefling dragged the bodies back into the tower, and quickly rummaged through their gear for useful weapons, thankful that Darwen was keeping him covered.

"Its all clear...whoa...you killed the bandits. I didn't even hear you fight them. You must have slain them fast.", said the elf as she returned.

Zax stared at her with confused eyes.

Darwen took a second to recover from her own surprise, but then smiled appreciatively at Zax. "You know , I thought you were being a bit too humble in the prison back there. I don't think anyone who bears one of the ancient blades could be completely useless. Even if you can't draw it, you must be pretty heroic to have one. Turns out I was right. I guess you wanted to keep me on my toes , not wanting to rely solely on your skills. I appreciate the thought even if its a bit condescending. However, we should be upfront with each other if we are going to escape.", the elf said while admiring the slain bandits.

"Sorry...I get really confused sometimes. I can honestly say, that sometimes I have no clue what's going on around me or what I should be doing at the moment.", explained the tiefling frankly.


	12. Chapter 12

"Nice shot.", commented the large half elf with labored breath as he struggled up the mountain.

Nymk was surprised that Sarin had followed her. She was even more surprised that he had managed to climb the cliff. She knew the large paladin was strong, but she had her doubts that he was nimble enough to scale the wall. To add to her confusion , she noticed that Sharliss was hanging on his back. She suppressed the urge to laugh when she realized the strange sight those two presented, but instead she simply nodded at the compliment.

"You didn't have to come here. I have this handled.", the barbarian woman said coolly as she scanned the courtyard for more bandits.

Although he managed to scale the mountain, Sarin's face was still red from the effort. He took a moment to catch his breath before speaking. " Hey lets get this straight. I only came here, because she wanted to come. ", the half elf said while pointing at his comparatively small passenger.

Sharliss smiled as she picked annoyingly away at the paladin's sweaty hair, "But...I only came here because Sarin wanted to come. "

"Whatevva...", snorted the half elf as he sought better balance on the cliff," I have better things to do then baby sit some doofus phony hero wannabe."

Sharliss ignored her guardians comment and continued, "He wanted to come, but he wouldn't unless I would. He has the need to appear to be useful so he pretends to guard me. Well his intent was pretty obvious so I told him I was going to follow you for a bit, and he followed without question. It was a convenient excuse for him to come tag along.", she explained to Nymk.

The swords woman was still not sure what the priestess was talking about. "I'm not playing around here. This isn't a game.", Nymk replied as she ignored the confusing banter and scanned the courtyard.

Sharliss mood turned serious and nodded ,"We know, that's why we came."

Nymk pleasantly noted that the pair were remarkably adept at staying hidden. Despite his bulk, Sarin appeared to be a boulder in the darkness, while Sharliss's dark dress and her infernal heritage practically faded her from view. She scanned the inner courtyard a final time before relaxing her bow. Only Zax and the escaped elf were present.

She wasn't sure what happened before she arrived, but from her observation she guessed Zax was captured by bandits. She wondered how bandits managed to overtake a Grommish Fortress . Although Grommers weren't exactly the greatest soldiers , they were fairly proficient at keeping what they own. She doubt a mere lapse of security resulted in the bandits taking over their fort. She told the paladin and priestess that she didn't need their help but she had seriously considered retreating back to the caravan to ask for aid from the pair. Fortunately she managed to witness Zax and the elf's escape attempt. The tiefling and elf weren't that stealthy and even the half drunk bandits heard them as they stumbled around. She was concerned that the bandits would raise the alarm over them posing a physical threat to Zax. She remembered the tense moments as she considered if she could snipe all 3 before one managed to yell for help . Before she made the decision however, Zax broke cover and walked towards them.

It was a crazy move. What was he trying to do? Talk them down? Give them autographs? Surely he wasn't providing a distraction for the elf to escape. Whatever the reason, it gave Nymk the distraction to take down the bandits. She hoped that Zax and his companion would do the smart thing and just exit the fort, it would be easy to cover them as they made their escape. However with the trouble prone tiefling, anything could happen.

Sarin peered into the courtyard and noticed the slain bandits, he looked briefly puzzled. "So , let me get this straight. Your job is to protect Zax until the barbarian election or till your lord orders you otherwise. The only stipulation is that he can't know he's being protected. Errr...looking at the bodies in the courtyard , don't you think he's gonna figure out somethings up? I mean shooting guys in an alley in a big city is one thing, there's all sort of crazies out there, but a random sniper in a mountain pass? C'mon...I think he's gonna put two and two together soon.", wondered Sarin.

"First off, this is Zax we're talking about. He's not that bright. Secondly I don't really care if he suspects there's someone assisting him. As long as he doesn't draw the connection to my lord , that's fine with me.", the archer said calmly.

"Hero of the Boar? The Dark Knight Oswald ? Jana of the Mammoth? or is it Janya...I can never get those names straight. ", inquired Sharliss . She wanted to provoke a response from the serious Nymk , but the swords woman did not flinch. Undeterred the young priestess continued with her game.

"Lord Warcod ? Fleur of the Narwhal? Erland of the Squirrel? ...wait its Erland of the Squirrel isn't it? That makes sense, he's currently Grand Champion ...he has the most to gain from keeping the Status Quo. Also the Husky is an eastern order, they would have traditionally voted with the boar, squirrel and the narwhal. Ah it all makes sense now.", said Sharliss knowingly.

Nymk's concentration was broken at the girl's line of questions. She hated this spy business, she preferred the more traditional role of a scout. Hiding, sneaking, some killing, some information gathering. This game of deception was frustrating and she knew she played it poorly. She took a deep breath and tried to maintain her composure. She resented the fact that this girl had deduced her secrets so easily. She would just act like it was more babble from the girl, she wouldn't confirm or deny her suspicions.

"Look what you did Hush! You ferreted the information from the spy. Tsk Tsk...looks like she's gonna kill you in your sleep now. Even worse, I will have failed in my quest. I'm gonna gave to go back to my temple in shame, atone for my failure, and hopefully get something easier to do. Maybe kill a dragon ...or a demon or something. A non girly girl demon hopefully. ", the large elf said sarcastically.

"Awww...she wouldn't kill me. Not after we saved her...would she?", the girl asked feigning worry.

"Will you two be quiet. ", barked Nymk. The paladin and priestess stopped and both smiled at her discomfort. She appreciated the fact that they came to assist her, but the pair were too "playful " for her taste.

"They will notice you are gone from the caravan. Who is driving your wagon? The giant?", asked the archer suddenly.

"Nah...I asked that nice Halvor gentleman to watch the wagon. I told him I wasn't feeling well, and my guard was off doing nature rites or something.", smiled Sharliss brightly.

"I'm sure he'll notice you aren't there. ", replied the swords woman.

"Oh , I'm sure he will , eventually. Currently though, he's bound by his knights honor to not check up on me. I figure we have about 8 hours before he'll get concerned.", said the half fiend happily as she stared in the direction of the caravan.

*CRASH*

A loud echo boomed through the fort and beyond. Nymk was startled at first, but quickly determined that the something was occuring in the gate house. She wasn't sure what was happening as dust and darkness obscured her view. About two dozen bandits were rushing into the courtyard with weapons in hand. Some sort of confrontation was brewing by the outer walls. Although she saw better then the average human at night, the darkness still severely limited her view. A moment of panic struck her. She scanned the inner courtyard quickly , and was relieved when saw Zax and the elf were still safe and no in danger.

"Oh oh ...I think we found our giant.", said Sharliss in a slightly embarrassed tone.

* * *

><p>Isula wasn't exactly sure what was going on. So many things had affected her mind and memory , that even her identity was unclear to her.<p>

She had awoken from a deep icy slumber a few months ago. Only brief glimpses and flashes of her past remained after that slumber. She recalled great battles in the north. She fought dragons, spirits, barbarians, even gods. She remembered a particular battle where she fought one of the barbarian knights. He was a worthy opponent that fought unusually well for being such a small creature. She recall something stirring inside her when she fought the knight. The next thing she recalled was leaving her tribe to join with this human. Isula couldn't believe she had done such a thing, leave her people , the powerful frost giants! Not only was she a frost giant, but she was of the noble caste, a giant that's blood flowed with magic. To abandon her heritage and live with their prey, the squishy humans, seemed unthinkable. Regardless of the reasons why she left, she then recalled crusading to the balmy southern lands, with her human pet in her shrunken form. The humans there were even weaker then the ones up north . Mountains of treasure was claimed. They even found an ancient chamber which lead to a massive dark triangular stone building in a cave. She wasn't sure why , but she recall feeling dread at the memory. The knights with her battled a great evil, and she remembered her consort falling to the darkness. The events following that were unclear. The knights won, and sealed the evil. The giant was amazed when she recalled being overcomed with grief at the end of the battle. She even sealed herself in ice to remain by her human pets side.

The giant shook her head at these memories, unable to comprehend the sequence of events. It was ridiculous to think she could have been that attached to her pet to freeze herself. Normally , that was an action taken by a jarls wife when the chieftain died and she wished to be with him in Jotunheim. To slay yourself for the sake of a pet was laughable. She remembered a pet polar bear dieing once, she was stricken with grief , but didn't actually freeze herself to deal with it.

That should have been the end of the story, but something about the pyramid or the cavern kept her alive in the ice . Decades, maybe centuries passed when the frozen prison finally cracked. An earthquake shook the cavern and it had broken her self imposed exiled. She remembered stumbling out, attacked by odd white furred demons. She slew scores of them, but due to her weakened state, their numbers overcame her.

That should have been it. Demons and giants respected each other, but that didn't make them friends. Although they were sometimes her people's allies, just as often they were their enemies as well. Isula fully expected to be devoured or have her soul stripped by them, but that didn't happen.

She wasn't sure what happened, but they were under a curse of some sort. They couldn't leave the cavern directly, but could through demonic possession of some sort. A coven of hags were recruited , and they bound a demon's spirit with her own. It not only warped her mind, but warped her body as well. She recalled her flesh and bones being perverted by the foul creature and shuddered at the unclean feeling it gave.

Isula remembered the evil in her mind, setting her thoughts on fire and destroying her sanity. Worse was being forced to obey the commands of the hags. She recalled the demon hoping to use its new form to free its fellows, but the hags had other ideas. They took their new servant and through more magic forced her to establish their dominance with the local small people tribes.

The giant once again thought that it was the end for her, not only did she had a raging demon in her head, but she was a plaything to these cowardly hags as well. Every day under their control, she felt a bit of her self slipping away. A bit of her mind slipping into the pit of madness.

That should have been the end, but something odd happened. A short orange creature which the hags despised appeared. She was ordered to fight him and she happily obliged . The hags were afraid of him , he apparently had killed a hag god or something. Isula saw no reason to be impressed or terrified by this small pathetic orange creature, however. She briefly remembered encircling him in a ring of ice for their duel, but was disappointed that dueling to this creature meant running around like a headless penguin. She gave chase for several minutes , but then all of a sudden sharp pain gripped her psyche . It felt like spikes were driven "out" not "into" her head. Intense terrible pain gripped her before she passed out.

Isula was sure that should have been the final chapter of her story. Unconscious and at the mercy of the odd orange creature she was tormenting . Even if she was spared, she doubt anything would be left of her sanity. The ordeal of the ice, the possession, the hag's control, and now this brain splitting pain would be too much for anyone. She welcomed the darkness that awaited her.

Instead of Jotunheim, she woke up in a bed. Tended by a half fiend girl ,a human, and a walrus creature. At first she thought the demons had her again, but that was not the case. The demonic girl couldn't speak the Jotun tongue, but her half walrus guardian could. The orange creature apparently spared her, and she was turned over to the half fiend and the walrus man's care. Isula half expected to be enslaved once again, but instead she was treated with a strange kindness and even respect. The giant was familiar with magic and recognized that the young demon had preformed some sort of healing ritual that kept what remained of her sanity from shattering .

She still wasn't sure what to make of her hosts, but she felt oddly safe and comforted by their presence. They were obviously magical creatures , they commanded dimensional magic beyond even her comprehension . They were able to create full realms at their pleasure. She was reminded of the myths of Baba Yaga and her chicken footed hut. How it was a gateway to multiple hellish dimensions. Instead she was in a wagon of some sort , that was a gateway to several not so scary worlds.

There was one world, that was basically a big field, with some trees and a lake. It was stocked with some game which a hulking demonic wolf would run around and chase. Isula wondered if the wolf would attack her when she stumbled on the world. She recalled a moment of battlelust as it ran towards her and knocked her down with its bulk. Even if she was in her true giant form, she doubt she could have withstood the force of the beast. Instead of biting her head off however, it playfully licked her face till she was forced to admit defeat.

The wolf proved to be a useful guide. If lead her to another bizarre world. This one seemed like some kind of training room. It had planks held up by ropes , a fulcrum with a board balanced on it, even a training wheel with grips. The oddest thing were a collection of stuffed practice dummies. They were mostly animals , and had oddly colored fur. The animals and the training equipment were all flimsily built and over decorated. Her people were great artists but their art was valued for their utility and the fear it brought to their enemies. These pieces however were not fearsome or useful at all, they were adorned with flowers and stylized animals.

The last dimension she found discovered was a small dimension. It consisted of only a starry sky, a hill with a wooden structure on it, and a small forest and lake around it. It was oddly calm and the giant concluded it must have been some sort of meditation area.

There were probably more worlds to discover, but the demonic wolf at her side seemed to be responding to a summons of some sort. It happily trotted into the main wagon area. The half walrus was giving it some instructions that the wolf seemed happy to ignore. Isula couldn't understand what he was saying but knew it was the universal command to canines to stay and guard. She guessed the half walrus and half fiend were leaving for awhile, and the girl even gave them some food to tie them over till they returned.

The food was quite good , but the giant noted that someone had taken a bite from not only her portion but the wolf's as well. She suspected it was the walrus man , but couldn't blame him . Such a creature must have an enormous appetite.

She had planned to leave when her strength returned, but was curious of the pair and their wagon. What were they doing and where were they going. She initially thought to respect her hosts wishes and remain in the wagon, but the wolf appeared agitated at the closed door. The wolf whined and pawed at the barrier, till finally Isula relented and opened it. The wolf bolted out and was soon gone into the night.

The giant waited for a bit , but the animal didn't return. She knew she could have waited some more , but the cold mountain air and her natural wanderlust was inviting her out . She put on her armor and grabbed her spear, and was soon off into the night. She knew it was a probably a bad idea, to leave without being fully healed. But she faced death more times then she cared to admit in the last few weeks. What's the worst thing that could possibly happen ?

* * *

><p>*CRASH*<p>

Zax and Darwen stopped in their tracks. It sounded like a building had collapsed. The tiefling wondered if they should start running at that point, but the elf grabbed his hand and dragged him to the top of the inner wall, presumably to get a better view of whatever caused that noise.

The elf released his hand when they were almost at the parapets of the wall, and Zax felt some relief. Darwen's lithe hand was deceptively stronger then his and he had to shake his hand to get some of the feeling back.

"A giant!", she gasped as she scanned the carnage.

Zax suddenly stopped, he faced a giant before and had no intention of fighting another one. He crept up to the elf, and tugged at the shreds of her uniform. "Let's get out of here. You don't want to mess with a giant, trust me on this...HEY...I know that giant!", he said with sudden recognition.

The elf paused and pointed at the white skinned giant in the courtyard. It wore ornate blue armor and was wiedling a bizarre looking bladed staff. Next to her was a ferocious looking demonic wolf. Its dark red fur and bone barbs presented a frightening image as it tore through the bandits. "You know THAT ? ", asked the elf in disbelief.

Zax meekly nodded. "Well kind of. We fought once, it chased me around, then it collapsed and ummm shrunk . Then me and my sidekick dragged it back to our caravan where some demon girl healer took care of her. "

"How about the wolf?", Darwen asked still unsure if she believed what Zax had said about the giant.

"Nope , never saw the wolf before. But I bet its Sharliss's . errr the tiefling girl.", said Zax.

"You associate with giants and tieflings ? Aren't you afraid of the damage they might do to your soul?", said the elf in surprise.

Zax paused, and looked at the elf. He couldn't see any cataracts or any diseases to the eye. He held up his hand to the girl and slowly rotated it for her. " Hello...orange skin...I'm a tiefling . ", he said slowly.

For a brief second , Zax thought Darwen was going to stab him with her sword. She cringed back then relaxed. "I'm sorry. I...I thought you were from the south. Irendi or Thyatis...I assumed you just had a real nice tan."

* * *

><p>"Wheeew...she's really going bonkers down there.",whistled Sarin in amazement.<p>

"I didn't think she was going to follow us. With Freiki too. ", said Sharliss glumly.

"Wait...doesn't this strike you as odd? The way the fight is going? ", asked Nymk as she watched the pair rip through the bandits. The bandits intially charged her, but quickly scattered when they realized they were out matched. Instead of fleeing into the deeper levels of the castle, where the giant couldn't pursue, they took up various covered positions around the courtyard and began sniping their attackers. Most of their arrows bounced harmlessly off Isula's armor and Freiki's hide, but some had managed to draw blood. It seemed like suicide to the swords woman as she watched the giant methodically uncover the entrenched bandits.

"They're charmed.", said Nymk and Sharliss simultaneously.

Sarin scratched one of his multiple chins, "That would make sense. But who's charming them? Wouldn't it make better sense for the mage to gather his minions to fall back and prepare a ambush? You think these egg head wizards could figure that out."

"Maybe his actions aren't dictated by logic. Raw rage and anger ? Although a great amount of arcane magic is wielded by those gifted with high intelligence, a fair bit is wielded by those who tap into emotion and will power instead. ", Nymk said while trying to spot the magician.

"I know that...my great grandmother is a sorceress or something .", stammered the half elf. Sarin gave an offended look, but he had to admit he knew little about arcane magic. Regardless of his exact level of knowledge he wasn't about to be lectured by a barbarian of all things.

"You know quite a bit about magic, Nymk. How does a barbarian scout know so much. Isn't it taboo or something. ", whispered Sharliss ,echoing the thoughts of Sarin but in a much politer fashion.

Nymk was surprised that these two would rather discuss the subtleties of magic then pay attention to the fierce battle below . "I will explain later. We should worry about who ever is charming those bandits. Its either a high level caster, or maybe a monster of some sort. A nymph...maybe a beholder..."

"Now she's in my realm of expertise.", thought Sarin.

"I doubt its a nymph, they tend to gather in beautiful natural places surrounding themselves with handsome heroes, they don't hang out in barren castles with goofball bandits. It could be a beholder, but from the ones I met, they think more "big picture". Taking over a fort and throwing its followers away to repulse an attack isn't their style.", explained the half elf knowingly.

A smile crept on the barbarian's face. Was the half elf trying to impress her with his knowledge or something? " So what are we looking for?", she asked while scanning for the hidden threat, and keeping an eye on the hiding Zax.

"Well, whoever is doing this , obviously have poor choice of tactics. It might be an intellect devourer, but they normally can't control this many people. Perhaps an ogre mage, they can only charm one guy a day , but given time they could assemble a band this size. Maybe a succubus, but they normally target good looking studs like myself not dudes missing half their teeth. My guess is some sort of renegade drow or gnome. There are rumors that some of them weren't purged by Alphonso and still live in these mountains.", said the half elf with an air of competence.

"Its probably an ogre mage then. Frost giants hate them, because they occupy a similar niche in the food chain. Look for signs of something big and invisible moving. It could be in flight. ", replied Nymk .

Sharliss nodded and scanned the courtyard. Sarin frowned , at least she could have acknowledge his wealth of information. "How am I suppose to find a giant flying invisible object?", he muttered under his breath.

* * *

><p>Isula could smell her enemy. Even lost thousands of miles from her homeland, and centuries removed from any blood feuds, her frost giant blood was enraged when she detected the jättiläinen velho in the castle.<p>

The evening started out pleasantly enough. She easily evaded the human guards by turning invisible. She noted the wolf used similar means by covering itself in darkness. The night air was a refreshing change from the strange wagon she had found her self recovering in the last few days. Weapon in hand, clad in her armor, without anyone controlling or possessing her brought renewed strength in her limbs and spirits.

She wondered what to do, but saw her canine companion had started to follow a trail. Presumably the scent of the walrus man and the half demon she thought.

She felt comfortable with her rescuers but oddly only considered the giant wolf a friend. She smiled and followed the beast, if for nothing else but something to do.

They ran through the mountains for miles. Neither wolf or giant tired from the effort. Eventually she came upon a huge mountain fortress. It was built for humans but the size of the structure impressed even Isula's giant sensibilities. She considered to just turn invisible and investigate this structure, but then she caught the scent.

Jättiläinen Velho

The fell giants, that stole her people's powers aeons ago. She knew the myths about how a demonic race of giants stole her people's sacred powers. They were able to wield the frozen winds effortlessly from them purloined skills. Isula didn't know if there was any truth in the tales, but she did know of the wars fought between her people and these demons. It was mostly her people hunting the demon giants in force, while the giant mages struck back at them from the shadows. It was a frustrating battle for both sides, and memories of her hatred for them burned in her frozen chest. She wasn't a mere huscurl or a simple deng, but a Merkismathr . A standard bearer, the beacon of her people's pride. She didn't care if there was one giant mage or a dozen, they would pay for being discovered by her.

She had grew into her giant form and assaulted the gate immediately. The structure was strong but no match for her strength. The wolf seemed happy to sneak around, but when it saw her attack the fort it merrily joined her.

Isula was disappointed at first. The giant sent its minions to fight her. The small fleshy humans rushed her in a wave, but they scattered easily with a few swipes of her rune spear. At this point the humans should have ran, but instead they took cover and shot arrows at her. She knew exactly what her foe was doing. The giant mage was willing to sacrifice all of his minions to weaken her before doing battle . She knew the tactic, and decided to play along. She would fight the humans then fall back, feigning injury. If she destroyed the giants minions too easily it would not reveal itself. She had to appear as wounded prey to draw her foe in.

The giantess would have preferred a straight up battle, but ogre or giant mages were a cowardly lot. She didn't regret the minions she was slaying , but would have rather fought them if they had clear minds. Having been manipulated and controlled recently she knew their plight. It made her restless and angry. Hopefully the ogre mage's head on her spear would cheer her up.

* * *

><p>"Isula...she's losing. ", gasped Sharliss in surprise. The giant was slowly backing up into the ruins of the destroyed gatehouse. The sheer volume of arrows finally taking their toll on her.<p>

"Do something! ",the priestess said to Sarin in a panic.

Sarin remained motionless as he scanned the courtyard for signs of this invisible flying ogre. "Its ok. Its a feint...its not even a good one. ", explained the half elf.

Nymk nodded in agreement. "Its an admirable tactic, but she's way too obvious. Look...she flinched at the arrow before it hit her. Its just like Lemball Wrestling ."

"Wait...what about Lemball Wrestling?", Sarin suddenly asked as his concentration was broken.

"You know...Lemball wrestling...where the lemball players settle their differences in the ring before or after a Lemball match. Like , who believes that stuff. Its made by idiots for idiots. Its sooo fake...they employ professional actors for some of the matches. Some of those guys don't even look like the players.", smirked the barbarian.

"No...No...its not fake ! Its real I tell you! REAL! ", exclaimed Sarin as his world began to fall apart around him. The half elf admired the gladiators who fought both on and off the Lemball court when he was young. To find out that it was a fake shook him to his very soul . If Lemball wrestling was fake, was Lemball fake too? What about the mighty Zug? Was he just an overweight actor as well? Like most half elfs, Sarin had patterned his entire life trying to emulate the mighty Zug , right down to his massive girth. Was his entire life based on a lie?

Nymk smiled at the half elf's distress and began to tease the tubby paladin some more. She paused though as she saw Sharliss vigorously shake her head and wave her hands at her while behind the half elf. Nymk paused and then noticed the confusion the half elf was in.

"Errrr I mean midget Lemball wrestling...everyone knows real Lemball wrestling is real, but the midget wrestling is totally phony.", backtracked the swords woman.

Sarin closed his eye and took a deep breath. The normally cool paladin almost had his tenuous grip on reality shattered by Nymk's simple statement. He wiped the sweat off his brow and continued to watch for the mage.

Nymk saw Sharliss smile and bow at her. The barbarian had adventured with many nut cases before, but wondered how crazed were her current companions.

* * *

><p>"The giant is losing, no wait ..its pretending to be losing.", observed Darwen .<p>

"Err...we should go ...while we have a distraction.", Zax pleaded to the elf, not really caring about the outcome of the battle. One angry giants or a keep full of angry bandits seemed equally bad to him.

"She's attacking the bandits. She's an ally . Isn't she? The enemy of my enemy is my friend right?", the elf asked . The danger they were in seemed lost to her.

"No... I can think of many instances where the enemy of my enemy is also my enemy. Sometimes even a bigger enemy. ", replied Zax as he took a step away from the parapet. He would have preferred if Darwen lead the way out, but he was willing to go by himself rather then face the army of bandits once more. Even though the mysterious sniper had saved him , he had no way of telling if he would again. He saw no sign of him, and he entertained the possibility the sniper was slain as well.

Darwen sighed and relented to the retreating Tiefling. She would have rather assisted the giant, but knew there was little she could do. Her arrows would have little effect against them, as the bandits were under cover. Most likely the giant would notice her firing arrows and assume she was an enemy. She silently wished the giant luck, and reluctantly followed the tiefling.

As Zax snuck away, he wondered what he was going to say to Halvor, Petrus and Kirgi. Kirgi would accept anything he said so he wouldn't be a problem. He wondered if falling to the ground and begging would help with the other two. He hoped they didn't beat him or anything . He had the suspicion that Adria had him pegged as a coward all along, and she probably passed that information to her master. Besides the shame and embarassement, they would probably suspend his share of the expedition . He wondered if he could pay them off to be silent of the whole affair. He desperately needed to finish a quest to satisfy the tax problems he was having up north. Halvor seemed like a goody two shoes kind of guy, but Zax knew he had money problems. He wasn't sure about Petrus though. Zax felt he was more akin to a ruthless killer then a soldier. He was likely to take a bribe, but he also had his own wierd sense of honor. He wondered if cowards were covered in his personal set of rules. He was ex military so that was a bad sign, those guys were pretty big on the honor thing.

Suddenly Zax stopped, as he felt a large metal object in front of him. It was dark, but he clearly saw nothing obstructing his path. He walked forward again, and definitely felt something large and metallic in front of him. A statue or something he thought , as he wondered why his eyes were betraying him.

Suddenly ,terrible red eyes stared down at him from about 6 or 7 feet above. Fear gripped Zax, as he wondered what was going on. The air shimmered , revealing a monstrous humanoid creature , in exotic lammelar armor. It had some of the facial features of the bandit leader that beat him earlier, but the creature was much more frightening. Like a terrible and giant rolled together. A demon giant or something of that sort.

"I hoped to make you and some of the slaves fight to the death for my amusement tomorrow, but this ends now. I don't know how you escaped but you die ...NOW!", the creature roared. It raised its long curved blade and was ready to strike down the tiefling.

A blur of movement overtook Zax. Zax wasn't sure what was happening but he was hoping the blur meant he was running. Instead he swiftly drew the forgotten longsword at his side, and sliced the ogre deeply through the chest. Armor, flesh, and bone were shredded as the flaming sword struck the surprised ogre. Zax was horrified at the deep wound he inflicted, he was even more shocked as he watched the creature's wounds flare from his sword's fire. Even though Zax was resistant to fire, the sight caused him to wince in pain.

Zax wanted to turn and run, but instead he found himself pressing the attack. He jumped at the giant , and found himself landing firmly on his chest. He suddenly executed a flip, pushing off and unbalancing the staggered giant, while slashing his foe again with the flaming blade.

Time stood still, the tiefling saw Darwen widemouthed and motionless about a dozen feet from him. In the courtyard he saw the giant girl..or was it girl giant?...pointing at his position in anger. The ogre was falling backwards from his wounds , but its hand glowed blue once again. Zax felt his body strain to avoid the attack, but his body was untrained and too clumsy to move.

A gust of some primal icy wind struck Zax. He felt his flesh and bones crack from the fierce cold. He fell to the ground shivering. He heard a terrible voice in his mind telling his limbs to move and continue to fight, but his body was at his limits.

The ogre shrieked in victory. It drew a short blade and advanced towards Zax. It had apparently dropped its long blade after the first or second attack by the tiefling . It ignored its own burning wounds as it savored the moment over his prey. Zax still felt the cold shake his very core, it was a merciless , bone chilling , strength sapping sensation and he welcomed the ogre's strike. Suddenly the ogre stopped in its tracks. A huge ornate spear had burst through its chest. It looked confused for a moment then toppled. Zax couldn't believe his luck, that is until the ogre fell on top of him.


	13. Chapter 13

"Care to back up your words? One hundred gold, or you shut the hell up!", exclaimed Kirgi in great agitation.

Halvor rolled his eyes at his companions. The dwarf and the summoner were just blowing off steam, but he felt he should step in before things escalated.

"Why one hundred, lets make things interesting. Two hundred!", challenged Petrus, before the big knight could interject. The summoner was normally calm and cool but the dwarves bluster for his "hero" wore his patience thin.

"HAH! Agreed!", said the dwarf who struck out his hand. Petrus promptly grabbed it and shook it. . Halvor held his breath, but the situation seemed to have quickly defused itself .

"Easy money man. I've fought brigands with the man. I've seen him defeat a giant. I explored troll infested caverns with him. No way he simply ran away. ", boasted the dwarf .

Petrus chuckled,"Oh yes. Zax the Great, Zax the Hag Slayer, Zax the Troll stomper...he just stole a pony...your pony I might add , the one with the strange name, "Eight bucks " or something ...and rode forward to "scout". Didn't bother telling anyone or retrieve his share of the troll's treasure. Just rode off in the middle of the night to seek more adventure and combat..."

Kirgi nodded, "Yup. I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing. How else do you explain the two dead guys we found on the road. It was clearly the work of our comrade. Look , I know its hard for a soldier to understand. You guys do things in groups, orderly and logically...but adventurers are a different breed. They do all sorts of crazy stuff ...Zax probably felt restless and smelled danger. Next thing you know he grabbed the first pony and took off to find it. And by the way..he didn't steal "Eight Bucks" . He saved my life one...my pony is his pony.", defended the dwarf.

The summoner shook his head, "I'm pretty sure Zax took great care to differentiate himself from adventurers. He referred to them as glorified bandits I believe. Speaking of bandits, the two dead guys on the road...one obviously fell to his death, the other was trampled to death. Our friend uses a rapier I believe. ", challenged the summoner.

"Well...that might be so , but I'm sure Zax was responsible. His tracks lead this way. Also despite what he claims, he's an adventurer at heart. He could say what he likes, but everyone knows that's what he is. ", grasped the dwarf.

Halvor saw that the situation was starting to spiral out of control again. He hoped that the bet they made would at least stopped the two from coming to blows, but Petrus seemed determined to win the verbal sparring over the dwarf. The big knight was worried that Kirgi would retort his verbal argument with his beefy fists.

"Look guys. Regardless of where and what Zax is doing, we have a caravan to take care of. If Zax returns , well great. We'll inquire where he went then. If Zax doesn't return...well we can't do anything about that can we? We have merchants and their families to take care of. After the trolls our margin for error has dropped. We can't afford to send anyone looking for him. Whether he ran away looking for trouble...or just ran away.", spoke Halvor, trying once again to calm his two companions.

Petrus paused, while Kirgi nodded. The knights ploy had worked. The three rode the lead wagon quietly as they stopped their bickering as they wound their way through the pass. Normally Kirgi would have scouted in front, but Halvor thought it was unnecessary. They were close to Fort Grom , the area would be relatively clear of monsters and bandits. He thought if an attack materialized it would most likely be from the rear. Remnants of the trolls or goblins ..or some other band of monsters from deeper in the mountains. With Zax gone, and some of the guards dead, Halvor reasoned it would be best if they kept their combat assets together.

The caravan trudged down the pass towards Fort Grom. The three had ventured there a few months ago , during their trial run through the mountains. It was an imposing fortress, but Petrus noticed it was lightly defended. Halvor told them it was a major cross road in Central Grom. At least it was till the caravans stopped over a year ago. It still saw some minor traffic from the dwarven freeholds to the west and the orc kingdoms in the east. The lack of caravans and the unstable political situation in the south saw the garrison reduced.

"So Halvor...I thought you said you were going to be busy this morning? Driving somebody's cart . ", asked Kirgi and finally broke the silence.

"The Lady Sharliss's I believe.", said Petrus after a brief pause. Halvor noticed a smirk briefly crept on the summoner's lips and knew he was discovered.

"Sharliss? Oh Sharliss! ...the sexy one with the those tight black dresses and the light blue hair . Women will dye hair all sorts of whacky colors to attract attention these days. ", smiled Kirgi.

Petrus pointed to the dwarf's own orange hair in response.

"What? Oh...I'm different, I dyed mine to serve as a challenge to trolls. They hate this color. ", responded Kirgi.

"Isn't that the same as "attracting attention?".", snorted the summoner.

"Hmmmm... I guess your right, but its a different sort of attention. The blue hair girl is obviously trying to attract some rich or famous suitor. You saw how she dropped her handkerchief in front of Zax. She clearly wants a piece of our little buddy. The two would make a cute couple.", ", laughed Kirgi , apparently unaware of Petrus's statements intent.

"Anyways...what was I saying. Oh yeah..didn't you say you were going to drive their cart. Doesn't she have her tubby bodyguard to do that for her? Or did he eat too much and can't leave their wagon?", joked Kirgi.

"Yeah..she asked me to drive her wagon for a few hours. She was taking care of the "giant" and her body guard was doing some elven rituals or something in the mountains. I agreed but as you can see its not needed.", said Halvor while motioning behind them. The third wagon behind them had a young woman with light blue hair in a dark dress sitting next to a bored and half asleep half elf. She noticed Halvor's attention and waved cheerfully back at them.

"Kirgi, you should not jest publicly about the half elf. Despite his appearance , you do not want to cross him. " , warned Petrus as his eyes narrowed on the large half elf.

"Oh right. What's he gonna do? Sit on me? I fight trolls and giants! I've been sat on by bigger and better. The only threat he poses is at a buffet table and at a bridge or a mine elevator with a maximum load limit. ", snorted the dwarf.

"Anyways...good for you for getting on her good graces man. If this caravan guard thing doesn't pan out, you should get fatso fired and apply for his job. She's obviously rich, and it would be an easy gig. You just follow her and Zax around looking tough. I'm sure he'll do all the heavy fighting.", joked Kirgi unaware of the agitation his words were causing the knight.

Halvor noticed Petrus suppress a laugh at Kirgi's statement , and wished the two would start arguing again. He thought that Sharliss's request was a bit odd, but decided not to press her about it. It turned out that it was unnecessary , but the big Knight still wondered the reason for her initial query. It was something more then a silly girl testing his loyalty to her . He only knew Sharliss for a short time, but knew that it wasn't something the young woman would do. She would tease, jest, and confuse but wouldn't take him away from his duty to make a trivial point. She would only request his service if it was something serious. He was initially attracted to her by her obvious exotic good looks, but was pleasantly surprised by a hard determination under her ample charms. Tieflings weren't noted for their loyalty and duty, but Halvor thought Sharliss was a notable exception.

As Halvor was lost in thought about the beautiful Sharliss, the caravan moved steadily south. By mid day , the merchants were beginning to get excited as they neared their first major destination. In the distance a large fortress loomed ahead , built on the sides of a mountain. A welcome sight , signalling the beginning of the end for their dangerous journey.

"A few more hours and we can kick back at Fort Grom. I have a hunch that Zax will be there, ready to tell us of some grand swashbuckling tale of him battling monsters and rescuing maidens.", smiled Kirgi.

* * *

><p>"So...you're a demon or at least have demon blood ?", asked Darwen as she administered the last charges of the mysterious wand. A patch of bluish skin turned orange as Zax sighed and rubbed the revived flesh. He had been awake for awhile now, but waited patiently outside while the elf rescued the remaining prisoners. When she had returned she tended his wounds from the strange wand they recovered.<p>

"Yes...for the last time. I'm a tiefling. I'm not sure the exact strain of my heritage, but its what I am . I thought there were a lot of tieflings down south, I would have figured you have encountered some by now.", replied Zax slightly annoyed . As he was being cared for by Darwen he watched the few remaining guards had round up the surviving bandits . All of this was being overseen by the giant, who was now shrunk again accompanied by a very red, very vicious , and most importantly very large wolf.

Darwen nodded ,"Yes , there are a few large tiefling communities in and around Grom City, but they are outlawed in most other areas. Even in Grom City, the majority are shunned and forced to do undesirable work.", answered the elf apologetically.

Zax nodded, he had a good idea what undesirable work meant. Garbage collecting, sewer cleaning, heavy manual labor , prostitution were amongst the legal venues open to tieflings up north. Illegal ventures ranged from petty crimes to unlicensed mercenary and thug work. Zax himself was lucky that he managed to weasel his way into the army and even secured his own buisness, he knew the vast majority of his people were not so lucky.

"So...where are your horns? I was expecting a bit more...", began Darwen again.

"...deformities? You think we all have horns,fanged teeth, bat wings, pointy tails, cloven hooves and carry pitchforks? My...unique features...include my obvious orange skin...and if you must know I have some minor bone spurs on my arms and legs. ", huffed Zax .

"Sorry...I didn't mean to offend. You saved my life...you saved everyone's life. You even beat that ogre mage. The last thing I wanted was to make you uncomfortable .", said the elf with downcast eyes, sorry for her line of questioning.

Zax sighed ,"Look...its OK... and you don't have to thank me . I .. I'm not exactly sure what happened. That girl..the giant, was the one I brought to the caravan . I have no clue how she got here. The wolf...never seen that thing before. There was a sniper that shot the three bandits we first met when we escaped. No clue how the sword got into my hand, even less clue of how I hit the ogre with it. Oh and the wand. Why did someone throw a rock with a wand attached to it at me ...I have no idea. It could have busted my skull open if it struck me. The mysterious sniper perhaps? But why didn't he reveal himself...and how did he know I'm here."

Darwen shrugged, "You're doing it again. The old," Humble hero" routine. It was cute at first , but its really condescending. You don't want to brag, I get that. But no need to make up stories of phantom snipers, or making me believe you can't use your sword. You obviously know the girl down there, look she's waving at us. I don't know if she's a shrunken giant or more likely a girl that has mastered growth magic, but she's clearly an ally of yours. The ogre got a lucky hit in with his magic, but you had it beaten. If the giant didn't finish it off , I'm sure you would have. The wand you had hidden was clever. Look, I'm guessing you had it hidden in the sword's scabbard right ? No need to insult my intelligence by saying it fell from the skies. Your a great hero, I'm just a lowly guard .. I get it, you don't have to try to make me feel better by pretending to be something you're not. ", the elf said glumly.

Zax looked at her in surprise. "Wait a minute, you got it all backwards. I'm a nobody you see...I drive a cart for a living. Through circumstances beyond my control , everyone thinks I'm some epic hero. Which is great because I want everyone to think I'm a hero. There are lots of benefits , trust me , when everyone thinks you are the second coming of Monte Nabisco . I admit to milking it for all its worth. But the truth is , I don't have a heroic bone in me. Trust me , I don't know how I drew the sword. I don't know where the giant came from, and believe me ...there's a sniper out there. Watching. He's probably watching me now. If you came at me with a sword right now, he'd probably shoot you dead! "

"Well...why didn't he shoot the ogre? Why did the giant finish it?", asked the elf.

"I dunno...maybe he ran out of arrows. Maybe he didn't have a clear shot. ", shrugged the tiefling.

The elf considered his statement. "If ...what you are telling me is true.. why are you revealing this to me now. Aren't you worried I'll let everyone know your little secret. Surely if you wanted people to stop believing you are a hero, you would have done it by now.", inquired Darwen.

"I'm not sure. I can't live up to even my own shadow . Being a hero is great , but I can't live up to the expectations. I'm just tired of pretending to be something I'm not.", Zax answered with his shoulders slumped.

Darwen heard sincerity in the tieflings voice. She wondered if he was just a good actor or if what he said was true. He didn't seem like much, but he had Dragon's flame, and he was responsible for the destruction of the ogre mage and the bandits. She sat next to him, and gave him a hug. "You know, regardless of who you are, you are still a hero to me. When Samuel dragged me from the cell I was ready ...ready to die. I wasn't a person anymore, I had enough of the bandit's attentions and was willing to provoke them to kill me at that point. Instead you bashed Sam's face in with your club. That one act, was the turning point you know. You gave me a shred of hope then , and I thank you for that. "

Zax shook his head, "My intentions weren't all that noble you know. I actually ran away from the caravan I was suppose to be guarding...and when we were in the cell ...I entertained thoughts of taking advantage of you , in your weakened and confused state. Really, I'm not much better then a bandit if you think about it.", the tiefling replied.

Darwen considered his statements. Any thoughts that Zax was simply toying with her was dispelled. The man was either a true hero but insane, or just a victim of accident. Acting humble was one thing, stating you considered sexually assaulting someone in a cell was another.

"What made you change your mind.", she said quietly.

Zax paused. An uncomfortable silence fell between the two. "Err...I thought you were a guy.", the tiefling finally said.

Darwen took his answer stoically as she sat silently next to him watching the clean up of the fort. There weren't that many people left . There were close to one hundred guards and merchants in the fortress when it fell. The guards were mostly slain, the rest were rounded up as slaves, or left to the bandits mercies. The elf considered how much had changed in the last twenty four hours. Yesterday she knew that she wasn't the only one who was ready to kill herself or make the bandits do it for them. Today they were attempting to rebuild or at least secure the fort. Watching the dozen or so freed women gave Darwen some peace and renewal of spirit.

"You can't let the rest of them know that. Look at them, they need a hero right now. You don't have to be flashy, but they need someone to have faith in. They have to believe there's someone decent around that will do the right thing and set things right. Not some distant uncaring god, or the cavalry of an overstretched army. Something real that will inspire them.",Darwen said at last.

Zax considered her words carefully. In Lower Lueders he used his reputation almost as his personal key to the city, it opened many doors previously close to him. When he joined the caravan, he wasn't prepared for the actions that were expected from him, and sought flight at every turn. When he finally broke free, he was captured by bandits and thrown into a cell awaiting certain death. He was disappointed in himself at how hollow his reputation really was. He only considered his status as something he used to benefit himself, he never thought it could benefit others.

The tiefling stood up , and waved at the women below him. There was a murmur amongst them, and they all waved back. Even the giant. Zax noticed their morale was definitely improved and they strangely seemed more happy and energetic to the tiefling.

Zax marveled at what his simple gesture could do. Maybe there was something to what Darwen was saying.

"OK, I'll do the hero act for a little while longer.", relented the tiefling, as he began walking to the lower courtyard.

Darwen smiled and followed. "Zax...I have one question. A private one. "

The tiefling stopped and turned to the elf. "Go on..", replied the tiefling suddenly curious about the nature of her query.

Darwen seemed nervous and shifted her weight back and forth . She finally summoned the courage and asked her question. "Back in the cell...well...do I really look like a guy?", asked the elf uneasily.

* * *

><p>"Pay up...SUCKA... ! ", taunted the dwarf in a high annoying voice to the summoner.<p>

"Yes...yes...you're assumptions are correct. I apologize for my statements earlier. ", Petrus replied , not believing the sight before him.

Halvor shared the summoner's disbelief as the big knight's eyes grew wide in amazement. He wasn't sure what happened, but it appeared Fortress Grom was overtaken by bandits...and their companion Zax had recently liberated it.

The tiefling was surrounding by a small band of battered but grateful women as he stood triumphantly on the ruins of the shattered gate house. With his hands on his hips, and one leg upraised over a chunk of rubble, it appeared to Halvor that Zax was posing for a portrait .

"My companions have arrived!", stated the tiefling as he nimbly hopped downwards towards them. The remaining women waved at the caravan and awaited their arrival, while the tiefling and a battered looking elf made their way to the lead wagon.

"Zax ! I told these guys that you were probably neck deep in adventure, most likely slaying monsters and rescuing maidens. Guess I was half right!", Kirgi said proudly.

"Not half right my friend but 100% correct! ", Zax said while pointing a large ogre head mounted on a pike. The head twitched which made one of the women cringe backwards briefly. She quickly recovered her courage and bashed it over the head with a shovel, battering it back into unconsciousness.

"An ogre mage!", gasped Petrus as he quickly recognized the head and its regenerative properties . "How...how did you defeat it?", asked the summoner.

"It wasn't all me. I only revealed its location, and stabbed it a few times. The giant gave it the killing blow, while it was on its last legs. It was a group effort!", Zax stated in a humble voice that wasn't really humble at all.

"What giant?", asked Halvor eying the parapets and the surroundings carefully.

Zax looked around for the small giant, but did not see her. He turned to his elf companion who was also scanning for the giant . They both shrugged when they realized she was not to be found.

"I guessed she vanished along with her pet. ", explained Zax.

"So what exactly happened here? Why did you leave after the trolls? Why didn't you tell anyone? ", inquired Halvor. Asking the questions the fuming summoner wanted to but was too chastised to ask.

"Ahh...After the trolls I smelled trouble in the air. I'm not sure how to describe it , but its a gut feeling I get sometimes. A special hero danger sense I guess you can call it. I hastily scribbled a note and tacked it to my wagon. From your surprise and confusion I guessed the note must have fallen or blown off. I needed speed so I borrowed Kirgi's war pony and followed the scent of danger. I was accosted by bandits but I swiftly vanquished them. I made my way to the fort and was shocked that it had fallen to brigands. I knew the vile villains had prisoners so I allowed myself to be captured so I could secure their hostages easier. After that it was just a matter of applying the correct amount of force to shatter and break these bandits. ", boasted Zax.

The elf by Zax's side just kept smiling and nodding as the tiefling told his story. She appeared to have elbowed the tiefling near the end of the tale, but both just smiled at the short lapse.

"What about the giant you referred to?", asked Petrus.

"I'm not sure, it appeared to be the one that I rescued but beyond that I am uncertain. ", replied Zax unfazed by the question.

"I will inquire with the Lady Sharliss about the condition of her patient. ", Halvor said in response.

A brief moment of panic struck Zax as Sharliss's name was mentioned, but he quickly recovered his composure. "If you will excuse me, its been a very long night . Sergent Darwen here is temporarily in charge of the fortress. I hope you can assist her and the other freed prisoners while I get some rest .", Zax said before bowing with a flourish.

"Way to go ZAX! He's the man! Who's house? Zax's house! ", cheered Kirgi as the tiefling made his way to his wagon.

Halvor started to converse with the elf , but she quickly excused herself and ran to the tired hero.

She quickly kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks! I can't believe they bought that. ", she said in a whispered voice.

"Well...I have had a lot of practice at it. ", he whispered back with a wink.

* * *

><p>Sharliss waved towards the top of the mountain , seemingly at no one in particular.<p>

"That's just gonna piss her off.", said Sarin in response.

"I bet she's lonely up there. You should go say hi. ", responded the priestess.

"How about you go. I'll stay here with the wagon. You know , keep the low profile thing, not draw attention to ourselves. ", replied the large half elf.

"You know I can't climb that cliff and when did we become all secretive? ", pouted the tiefling in return.

Sarin sighed, "Look , we're not like your little friend up on the mountain. We don't really care if anyone knows we can beat the tar out of everyone in this caravan. However, it makes things easier for us, especially you. Now let's make good old Sarin's job easier and try to stay out of everyone's conversation . OK?", explained the half elf.

Sharliss nodded , she already knew his response but felt a need to hear him vocalize it. A smile crept on her face.

"You know... that worked out pretty well I think. I manage to coax Isula and Freiki back into the wagon without anyone knowing , Nymk is still hidden , Zax is safe. Even the fortress is rescued, everything turned out ok. ", smiled the priestess.

"Before you pat yourself on the back, I want to add, we didn't actually do anything the whole time. You made me climb up that mountain while carrying you for nothing. I could have been sleeping you know.", grumbled the half elf.

"That's not true. I gave you that wand to throw at Zax. It looks like they managed to use it well. ", Sharliss retorted.

"The fight was over, they didn't need the wand. That was a waste of charges. If there was any more trouble Isula, Freiki or our lone sniper could have handled it. ", snorted Sarin.

"Alright...even if we weren't needed, its always good to help out. Besides ...you're the one that wanted to see if Nymk was fine. It was clear to me you were concerned with her .", teased the young priestess.

"Excuse me? If I recall you wanted to follow her. I just followed you. ", sneered the half elf.

Sharliss's eyes grew wide in false surprise. She pointed a delicate finger to herself and gasped in feigned disbelief, " I wanted to follow her? No..no..no... It was obvious to me that YOU wanted to follow her...but you couldn't find an excuse to. Your silly and honor and faith to your duty and all that. I just said I was going to follow and you promptly agreed to. I'm not good at this outdoors stuff, if you didn't want to follow her you wouldn't have climbed up that mountain. We would have returned at the first obstacle I couldn't manage to cross. ", smiled the tiefling.

"Oh my...what a bizarre and twisted scenario you've spun in your mind. It must be the latent demonic forces at work! What in the world would make you think I would care what happened to our mystery spy.", Sarin challenged , unimpressed by Sharliss's spurious logic.

"Oh that's easy! Of all the people and...ahem...animals we know , she's the first one who you haven't tried to steal food from at the dinner table! ", she said with a laugh as Sarin grew red.

She let out a long giggle, then her eyes narrowed and her tone grew serious, "Like honestly, you should stop that. It's embarrassing. I've even caught you stealing the poor dog's food. "

* * *

><p>Zax laid down on the cot in his wagon. The tiefling stared at the roof, unable to sleep.<p>

He had so many questions but so little answers. What was he going to do now? Come clean about his past , and his exaggerated reputation? Or continue living the lie that was his life. If he was going to be honest, should he do it now or wait till he arrived at Grom City? If he was going to be honest, did that mean he could no longer support his buisness? Half his tax breaks were supported by half truths and outright lies . Was the cost of his new outlook his accumulated wealth? What was the real reason of his change of heart? Did he really value his reputation or was he just disgusted with the way his life was going ? Was the darkness following him? Was Sharliss a harbinger of his destruction? What was up with his sword? Why could he draw it sometimes but not others? It clearly wasn't because his life was in danger, he's been in life threatening danger before and the sword never reacted. How did Darwen draw it? Did the blade allow her? Was Darwen an A cup or a B cup? Was the blade intelligent? If the sword was intelligent, was it influencing his thoughts? The sniper that saved him in the fort must surely be the same one in the alley. Who was it? Was it a team of snipers? Was it someone from the caravan? Why were they following him? Were the Royal tax collectors secretly tailing him? Were they there to determine if he was actually questing or not? If they were following him, did that mean he would be ruined if he rejected his reputation. Was he really a tiefling? Was he only just a well tanned human? Why did he have small bone spurs? Maybe normal humans have small bone spurs as well? Humans can't grow hot, but there were spells that simulated it. Was he actually a spell caster? Did he manifest his magic subconsciously? Was the pony's name Eight Bucks or Buckviii? If it was Eight Bucks did that mean Kirgi paid 8 gold or 8 plat for it? Or maybe it bucked eight times at the local animal fair or rodeo? Why do people even go to rodeos? Zax thought they were boring. Were people actually entertained? Maybe its to see the rodeo clowns? Why were clowns so scary? Aren't they suppose to be humorous and funny ? Would eight goblins or eight clowns be scarier ? If they were in a mountain pass the goblins would be scarier...but if they were in an alley the clowns would definitely be more frightening. Why would there be eight clowns in an alley? Were they on their way to perform a demonic ritual then their clown wagon broke down ?

*Knock knock*

Zax's blood ran cold...were the clowns trying to get into his wagon?

"Are you awake? Its me...Darwen.", replied a soft voice outside.

Zax blinked and dispelled the random thoughts from his head. He got out of his bed and opened the door cautiously. Club in hand in case it was an evil clown trick.

The tiefling blinked when he sawed the elf before him. When he first met the elf, she wore scraps of her uniform and was battered and beaten. Despite this he thought she was still pretty in an androgynous way. Someone he could definitely frolic in a tavern with , but not someone he would buy dinner for. Zax's opinion of the elf changed drastically as he noticed that elf had cleaned up...really well.

Zax didn't really notice her exact details before, the stress and danger obscuring the details at the time, save for the fact she had small or non existent breasts under her tattered uniform. For awhile he even questioned her gender. Zax wondered how he could question her sexuality as she stood outside the wagon before him. Her hair was a vibrant shade of silver, not the dull grey of old age. It had streaks of green in it that betrayed her elvish heritage. Her eyes were no longer dull or blackened, but seemed to radiate with a clear blue brightness. Her skin appeared pale and smooth despite several small scars that were unable to detract from her beauty. She was mid height for a human, which meant she was tall for an elf or tiefling. Her physique still appeared slim and muscular but she seemed blessed with a generous bosom. Zax wasn't sure if she was wearing a padded bra, a well fitted girdle, using magic or maybe the Grommish uniform was more adept at hiding her "gifts" then he thought. If that was the case, he would have to reevaluate all the women he met in the time he served in the army and militia.

Zax noted she wasn't wearing her uniform anymore. Instead she wore a simple brown leather jerkin and pants. She had a long blade at her side, and a bow slung on her shoulders.

" Hi...", she uneasily as she noticed the tieflings stare.

Zax shook the cobwebs out of his head, and shifted to a casual stance. " Why hello, you look...different. ", said the tiefling as he ushered her into his wagon.

"Thank you...as you know I had applied for a leave of absence from the garrison. Regardless of its current state, I'm officially not in the army.", answered the elf.

"Is that a good thing?", inquired Zax.

"Well...I'm not leaving the fort till reinforcements arrive. It could be a few days or a few weeks. Despite the reputation and grandeur of the first army, things on the edges of its sphere of influence tend to slip and be lost in the bureaucracy.", answered the elf sheepishly.

"I can stay a few days , till things get back on track. We both know I'm not that good in a fight, but who knows, maybe my phantom archer, or a magical giant will appear if there's trouble. ", blurted the tiefling. Zax wondered why he volunteered to stay . Was his mind so far lost he could not see the difference between pretending to be a hero or actually acting like one.

"That's fine, you're all staying actually. Your leader...Sir Halvor convinced the merchants that it was to everyone's benefit to remain at the fort till relief comes. Its a win win situation really. We get added security, the merchants get to unload some of their supplies to the garrison. Say what you like about the First Army, but they are famous for paying their debts and rewarding their "friends". ", smiled Darwen.

Zax nodded and smiled. "So everything else...its all good? I was trying to sleep and wasn't sure what was happening outside. "

"Yes, better then to be expected given the circumstances. The mage took the ogre head...to question I think. The dwarf and knight organized the guards and helped clear the remaining rubble. Even most of the merchants seemed generous with their aide. Especially the really fat one and the blue hair girl." , explained Darwen.

"There's still the threat that Arnim will return, but hopefully we'll be on guard for him this time.", said the elf quietly.

"I keep hearing his name. Who is he? You said a dwarf?", asked Zax with slight confusion.

"Yes.. a grey dwarf. As well as being the last fortress between the orc lands, the Western Freeholds, and the Northern Grom, this Fort is also a trading post to the underdark..the dark lands. Business with the the denizens of the depths is always dangerous and morally ambiguous , but as you know Grom doesn't let that get in the way of a profit. From what I can understand this fortress has prospered from trading with the dark races for centuries with little incident. However, with the garrison reduced...well let's say someone smelled a profit. Arnim bypassed the fort's defenses in the guise of a merchant, and managed to let the ogre mage and his bandits into the fort. I'm not sure how he did it though, but I suspect subterfuge", explained Darwin with a hint of shame in her voice.

Zax let the matter drop, he was in the army and he knew the pride in knowing you served well. Even if it was making sure everyone got a fresh baked loaf of bread, or their daily ration of one dried up fruit it was still his duty and he was proud he did it well. To let a fortress fall to the enemy must have been very humbling to the army elf.

"So what are you going to do now? You mentioned going north? If you wait awhile, this caravan will eventually return and head north back to Lower Lueders. After that , the roads are still dangerous, but there's like a huge network of caravans that make that journey. You can get all the way up to Karlston or Baltar's Port with them.", explained Zax.

Darwen considered his statement then smiled, "Ahh no. It would be nice to go north, but I'll explore my options to get there in Grom City. I've talked to Halvor and asked if he needed another guard. He said no, but said I was welcome to travel with you guys to Grom City. As a military courtesy of course. I just need a wagon to stay in , but I guess I can walk.", stated the elf.

"You could stay with me for now...", blurted the tiefling. Again he wasn't sure why, but he suspected it was because of the elf's tight leather armor, or her clear blue eyes.

"Thank you.", replied Darwen , half suspecting the answer already. " It won't be a bother will it? The dwarf Kirgi, kind of mentioned that the Lady Sharliss and yourself were ...close."

Zax vigorously shook his head, "No..no..no...you got that all wrong. That's one of the reasons I ran away from the caravan in the first place. "

Darwen considered how fast he replied and wondered the exact nature of Zax and the Lady Sharliss's relationship. She clearly saw fear in his eyes but Zax typically reacted that way to most things. There was a long silence in the wagon after Sharliss's name was mentioned, whatever Sharliss meant to Zax it was something he clearly didn't want to talk about.

"Hey...you're a blade songstress or something like that right? I've been thinking. If I'm going to pretend to be a hero, I should ..well you know...learn to use the sword properly. I can use a club OK, but that's a big difference then a sword. ", Zax stated finally.

"First off, its Bladesinger or hyanda lindir, the art of combining blade and spell. I can teach you the blade part of the art , but obviously if you have no talent with magic I can't help you with the other part. It will require a lot of training but I can teach you the basics of dueling fairly easily, enough so you can handle yourself in a battle. However, its pretty hard to practice in secret. Won't people see us , won't that defeat the purpose of you acting like a hero?", asked the elf.

"That's ok. If anyone asks. We'll just say I'm teaching you , I'll make up something about lowering myself to your level to help you understand. If...that's ok with you of course.", explained the tiefling.

Darwen grinned and nodded, "Ok its settled then, we won't practice in front of everyone , but we have an excuse if discovered. "

Zax smiled as he started moving his stuff around the wagon to prepare a place for Darwen to rest. "Hey sleeping in my wagon, practicing together. This is ok with you? This is a small caravan, I don't want the rumor mill to get started . If you know what I mean. ", asked Zax with concern.

The elf looked surprised at his suggestion. "It should be OK...I'm sure most of them think I'm a guy . ", she said with a wink.


	14. Chapter 14

Zax blocked the incoming blade with his club. The metal bit into the wood and was momentarily caught in its strike. The tiefling was wry but knew his opponent was stronger, so he twisted the club quickly in response. The unexpected action wrenched the blade from the supposedly more "experienced" bladesinger's hand.

Darwen launched a fist at Zax as the blade fell. The tiefling weaved to the right, barely avoiding the small mailed fist. He carried his motion through ending up a few feet back and out of range of the beautiful elf. A smile crept on his lips. He still had his practice sword and his parrying club while she was disarmed.

A look of frustration was cast on Darwen's perfectly formed face. She crouched down , well out of reach of her blade, at the mercy of the tiefling if he decided to press his attack.

"Just admit it. I'm a fast learner. ", Zax said coolly at the panting elf. He wasn't convinced of her submissive stance, he half expected she was readying a hidden dagger or some sort of confusion powder.

"Yes , I must admit I am surprised at the speed you pick up the various nuances of battle. Things that take veterans decades to master. ", admitted the elf while brushing a stray grey lock of hair from her forehead.

"Well, I am a tiefling. The humans keep us down for a reason you know. They're afraid we'll take over the world if left to prosper on our own. ", replied Zax, half joking , half serious.

"Enough!", cried Darwen as she suddenly launched herself from her crouched position. The tiefling thought her attack was akin to some great tawny mountain cat pouncing on her prey. Zax expected some sort of hidden weapon. A knife or maybe spiked knuckles, but it appeared the elf was unarmed as she charged. He considered stepping into her attack and finishing her off with either a swift slash with his rapier or a slam with his club, but the clever tiefling suspected something was amiss.

Sure enough , mid charge the lithe elf barked an arcane phrase, and her sword that laid motionless in the dust briefly glowed and flew into her delicate hand. Zax was glad he didn't fall for her trap, but was now faced with a charging elf.

The tiefling squared himself to face her. Darwen had pressed her weight and momentum into her blade, making it near impossible to block or parry. As his attacker rapidly approached, he threw his club at her left side, in what looked like an attempt to stun her . The elf saw the attack for what it was and craned her neck in the opposite direction. The club missed, but it served its purpose. In the split second her concentration was broken, Zax twisted and dodged to the right. Darwen gave an audible gasp as she flew past the tiefling. Zax calmly struck the back of her shoulder blades with the pommel of his blade, sending her crashing heavily into the dirt.

The elf laid stunned at the tieflings victory. She marveled at how quickly her handsome student was now her master. Zax for his part gave a cocky smile and extended a hand to help her up.

"I think that's enough for the day. Why don't we head back to my wagon and get that armor off , so I can tend to your scrapes and bruises. ", smiled the tiefling at the blushing elf.

* * *

><p>"I think that's enough for the day. He looks totally whipped. ", said a chuckling deep voice in the darkness.<p>

"I didn't mean to... we were just sparring, then he tripped on a rock ..or maybe a slippery patch of grass or something. ", replied a musical more concerned voice.

"Well...I wouldn't worry too much. He landed on his head. I'm pretty sure nothing serious got damaged there. ", laughed the deeper voice.

Zax's vision slowly cleared. Brief flashes of the last few days flared into his rattled brain. He remembered the relief platoon arriving a few days after the caravan arrived. There were only 20 of them, but it was a sufficient enough force to hold the fort till more troops gathered. Zax had allowed Darwen the elf to stay in his wagon for the remainder of the trip, he presented it as a courtesy but he really wanted an excuse to fool around with the pretty elf. Unfortunately for him, she calmly rebuked or ignored all his well crafted advances and pick up lines. Zax even came up with a suggestion that they she should teach him fencing. It was another ploy to get her closer to him. Zax remembered she said she was a swordsinger , bladechanter or some strange profession. He distinctly remembered never actually seeing her use a sword during the battle with the bandits , also the fact she was captured by them suggested to him she wasn't really as good as she thought with the sword. If she was really good , why was she in the army? Guarding a half abandoned fort of all things. Zax soon realized he grossly underestimated her skill. At first they used wooden blades but Zax soon found himself beaten and battered . The next day he still used the wooden blade while she used a light tree branch. The effect was the same as Zax was pummeled again. The third day she decided to not use any weapons at all. Zax would have scoffed at the idea on the first day, but eagerly accepted it now. The first few sessions attracted some onlookers, but Darwen ran him through some long and repetitive katas that bored the spectators away. Today however the cute noblewoman Sharliss appeared to be eagerly watching him. Zax found her presence but at least he wasn't paralyzed with fear again. It didn't take long till Chins,the giant girl and even their wolf mascot all came as well. Zax wanted to impress the young Sharliss so stepped up his aggression while sparring. Unfortunately for him , in his excitement he slipped and fell. Apparently knocking himself out for an indeterminate amount of time.

"You shouldn't be pushing him so hard! You should hold back a bit! ", said a soft worried feminine voice.

"She is holding back . Look, she doesn't even have a weapon. It's sad really.", answered the deep voice.

"Hän on kauhea. ", spoke a strange high pitched voice.

"You said it sister. Its like he's day dreaming while sparring. ", the deep voice said once again.

"Woof Wooof Wooooff".

Zax ignored the comments from the miasma of pain in his head . He tried to get up , but his knees gave out from under him, and felt himself crashing back onto the ground.

"errr...I guess this is what you call a "glass jaw"...", said the soft feminine voice again as it trailed away.

* * *

><p>The swords woman had remained perched above the fort for the last two days. The threat of more bandits and the mysterious Arnim kept Nymk at her vigil. She had had little sleep but that was fine with her . She once hunted a demon that left the Scar and decided to prey on travelers. She tracked it to its lair and waited 5 days for it to finally emerge. She had to endure the frigid wind, lack of sleep , little food, and the maddening solitude. Her current "prey" was much simpler . The tiefling named Zax was prone to wander, but he was basically a scared little man. It was easy to keep him guarded as long as he didn't panic and run. The weather was cold, but mild compared to the frigid tundra. She was well provisioned , and occasionally the large half elf would climb up to her perch and bring her a hot meal. That solved both her food and solitude problem. She was constantly surprised by the large paladin, not just for his combat skill, but his surprisingly charming nature. She was going to miss him when they eventually parted ways. She figured after the fortress was relieved , they would reach Grom City and then go there separate paths.<p>

Nymk heard a rustle. She drew her bow and scanned the likely entry points of the pass. She smiled and relaxed the tension of the bow when she saw it was Sarin. The large half elf was three quarters up the cliff and she was impressed that he made it that far without drawing attention to himself. Despite his bulk, he moved more like an arctic antelope then the polar bear he resembled. She threw a rope down to him as he neared her perch, and he gladly took it to scale the rest of the cliff.

Despite his competence at climbing the effort was clearly seen on his face. Nymk chuckled at the red faced and sweaty paladin as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Laugh all you want, but I have a present for you .", the half elf huffed as he threw a bag at her.

She could smell the brine of blood immediately but was more curious then repulsed at the contents that was with in it.

She opened the bag and smiled as she withdrew a bloody dwarven head from it. It had dull white eyes and a earthen grey skin. "Arnim?", she asked.

The half elf nodded as he regained some of his composure. " Yes Ma'am. I was exploring some of the the lower levels of the Fort with Isula and Sharliss, and we found this guy and a few of his friends skulking around. He's a feisty little bugger, thought he had us when he played his "trump" card and grew all big like. You should have seen the look on his face when Isula grew doubled his size..", chuckled the paladin.

"I could well imagine. " , said Nymk as she smiled at the half elf . It was a nice gesture from the paladin. It made her job a lot easier.

"Soooo,...I guess you don't have to wait up here any more? With the ogre mage dead, and his little stooge taken care of, I think its safe for you to head back down.", replied the half elf . He sounded more like he was commenting on the weather then suggesting a course of action.

"Hmm...I dunno...better safe then sorry.", replied Nymk. Although his suggestion was valid, she still felt safer for all involved if she remained at her solitary post.

"err...people are starting to ask where Hush's maid went to...they might start looking...", replied the half elf absently.

Nymk sighed...and nodded, "I guess I can let the real guards do their jobs I suppose."

* * *

><p>Zax felt that he was warm and safe. The sound of a kettle brought him gently to consciousness.<p>

As his awareness returned, he recalled briefly the dwarven philosopher Dorfcartes principles of existence. To first reject any ideas that can be doubted, and then reestablishes them in order to acquire a firm foundation for genuine knowledge. Zax's mind began ignoring all outside stimulus till only a single principle: thought exists. Thought cannot be separated from me, therefore the tiefling knew he exists. After that he began rebuilding the environment around him. As his senses slowly established themselves, Zax knew he was stripped of most of his clothes and armor. Also he was in a comfortable bed . He felt bandages and salves had been gently applied to his wounds. Zax's mind worked at the speed of magic, it appeared he was being nursed back to health. He remembered the details of his brief sparring match, and though Darwen must have felt very sorry for the way she treated him. The tiefling then knew without a doubt , he was gonna have some hot make out time with an elf soon.

"Oh your up!", said a deep youthful voice.

Zax's expectations crashed, as he recognized the speaker. It was his "buddy" Kirgi.

"Wow you took a beating. You know...you're the one suppose to be handing out the ass whoopings, not the one taking them. ", chuckled the dwarf.

"Ouch...guess I'm being too soft...on my student...", replied the tiefling in his humble hero voice as he finally came to his senses . He wasn't in his own wagon. It was decorated in a kind of spartan but inviting way. Furs and heavy blankets insulating it from the cold.

"I'll say. If I ever struck my Axe Thane like that he would kick my ass and chop my beard off. I know she's a chick and all, but you can't go soft on them in training. It could mean life or death when faced with a real opponent. ", explained the dwarf.

Zax nodded and smiled. He was correct, what he painfully learned today might save his life in the future. He should be glad Darwen wasn't shirking her duty as an instructor. It had been a day of humiliating failure but at least his simple deception on who was being trained had worked on the dwarf.

"Errr Kirgi.. Why am I here? I thought they would have carted me to Lady Sharliss's cart.", asked the tiefling tentatively. Although he was fearful of the dark arts performed by Sharliss, he knew the others in the caravan did not share or were aware of his fears. He fully expected to be in her strange wagon when he woke up.

"Well...you were knocked out...but not totally out. The big fat half elf started to drag you there, but you started flipping out when you got close. The best I could do was get you to my own cart and treat you there. Yours was...ahem...a mess. Not fit for treating wounded. You're actually not hurt that bad really.", explained the dwarf.

Zax let the thought sink in, was he that terrified of the darkness that was Sharliss ? More importantly did Kirgi strip him and apply the salves. An unclean feeling suddenly washed over the tiefling. It felt worse then the time he accidentally stumbled into a troglodyte breeding pit.

Zax shuddered and drew his blanket close to him. The dwarf smiled and headed for the exit of the wagon. "I'm going to do one more sweep of the area to make sure its safe. We're heading out soon , off to Greater Grom City! That mean's we're almost at our destination. I'm glad you signed up with us. Its been a real honor to serve with you. ", said the dwarf .

Zax nodded and returned the compliment. "Its been an honor to serve with you as well.", the tiefling said . He didn't mean it though, but it sounded sincere. He actually meant to say ,"Good riddance you psycho axe happy lunatic. ", but his years as a front line provider in the service industry taught him to always leave with a positive compliment.

Kirgi paused at Zax's response, "Thanks..it means a lot hearing that from you. I feel we've gotten close...if you know what I mean.", smiled the dwarf before he left.

A new wave of revulsion struck Zax . The thought of the grubby little spikey hair midget rubbing the salve all over his body sickened the tiefling. He found himself in an uncomfortable condition where he was undecided whether to throw up or not.

*Knock knock*

Before Zax could answer, the grey haired Darwen had entered the cart. A look of worry was on her face, but it was quickly dispelled when she saw Zax was conscious.

"Sorry about that, we need to get you some proper sparring shoes I guess. Something with a little better grip.", she said with a grin.

Zax nodded , her presence was comforting, but the unclean feeling still clung to him.

"How are your wounds? I hope I applied those salves thoroughly. I hoped to get you to the priestess, but you were thrashing pretty wildly . Maybe its the scent of incense from her cart or something. I'm not sure. I also brought you something to eat.", the elf said to Zax's immense relief.

The elf placed a small pot at the side of Zax's bed, then began to ladle the contents out for him in a bowl. It was a broth of some sort , with some sort of chopped tentacles in it. The tiefling hesitated at the soup before him. Not because he disliked tentacles, but he was wary of any sea food that wasn't fresh. He guessed that the bandits took the best food already , and dried octopus or squid was all Darwen could scrape up. Zax knew that boiling squid or octopus was a culinary no no, but was pleasantly surprised at the mild taste and gentle texture of the dish. The tiefling nodded at the elf in thanks.

"Well, I'll let you rest. From what I can understand we're leaving tomorrow for Grom City. I guess we'll be parting ways soon. Its been a pleasure meeting you.", Darwen said. She leaned forwards towards the tiefling. Zax expected a kiss on the forehead or something, but she paused and simply checked his temperature with her hand. Afterwards she quietly slipped out of the wagon as well.

Zax sighed , no elf sex, but at least he wasn't molested by a dwarf. Zax wondered could there be anything less sexually appealing then a dwarf. He wondered if anyone could find a dwarf attractive.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the frozen Tundra...<p>

"..C'mon Ymir...we're surrounded by giants. This might be our last night together! Please do raunchy things to my body !", pleaded Frank.

The dwarf swiftly responded by kicking him in the nuts with her iron shod boot.

"Us dwarves don't give it up that easily!", sneered the dwarf contemptuously at the now bent over knight.

"Just one squeeze...", gasped the knight as he reached for her chest. The dwarf batted his hand away and promptly stomped him a few more times, for good measure.

* * *

><p>Nymk was taken away by the fragrant scents coming from Sharliss's wagon. She had dined in the finest halls of the Jarls of Ostland, the best dining rooms of McDunnalds, and the courts of the kings of the southern city states, but never had she salivated from the aromatic delights as she had now. Maybe it was the fact the small wagon concentrated the aromas within, or maybe she was on her perch for the last few days.<p>

They were leaving Fortress Grom soon, and Sharliss decided to celebrate with a grand meal. For close friends only. Nymk was surprised that she hadn't invited Zax but she knew he was busy trying to woo that elf soldier he picked up. When she first met Sharliss she had the feeling the half fiend was infatuated with the tiefling. Currently she seemed blissfully unaware of the new target of his affections, or maybe she was painfully aware and was doing everything she could to get him off his mind. Nymk hoped Sharliss didn't come confide this with her. Despite her long years , matters of the heart were not her specialty. Unless it came to shooting arrows into them or course.

"Here's to the start of my school semester. ", said Sharliss loudly as glasses were raised and clinked.

"Here's to finding a boat or a wizard to ship Isula back to where ever she came from. ",roared Sarin in response, followed by another round of glasses.

"Drinnkkk...gooooddd!", said Isula in surprisingly good common. Despite her barbaric nature, the giant was remarkably intelligent and picked up the common tongue rapidly. A roar of cheers erupted at her toast .

"To unexpected friends.", said Nymk when it was her turn. It was an off thing to say, but the small group raised their glasses to her toast anyways.

After a short round of drinks, Sharliss began serving what appeared to be some sort of wild game bird garnished with freshly picked vegetables. Nymk wondered where she managed to procure such a feast. From her knowledge most magics produced dull and tasteless fare. Even with cantrips to flavor the food, the meals prepared by mages were passable at their best.

Sharliss saw the look on Nymk's face and quickly deduced her question. "Freiki hunted the game. I picked the vegetables. Its the least I could do . I expected a pretty dull journey to Grom City, but new friends always liven things up."

Nymk smiled at her kind remark and began sampling the feast in front of her. Although she was hungry she was never a big eater. After several bites into the delicious and hearty meal, she noticed that the others were finished. The swords woman recalled watching the half fiend served the portions, till it was all gone. She was famished but didn't think she was a slow eater. Was she given a larger portion for some reason?

Sharliss herself seemed satisfied by the meal and politely settled back and watched her guests enjoy the dinner she cooked.

Isula didn't strike Nymk as a big eater, and promptly devoured her meal in a 3 or 4 large bites. "Drink...", she said in a high girly voice as she pointed to her glass. Sharliss smiled and promptly poured her a large drink.

Sarin on the other hand sat there glumly with a confused look in his eye. Nymk knew the half elf craved more, but unfortunately all the food gone. At this point the half elf normally started stealing food from the other diners. Instead he just sat there with a nervous look in his eyes. To add to the confusion the swords woman also saw that Sharliss was staring straight at her guardian. It appeared to Nymk she was waiting for his next move.

Nymk thought it was a strange situation. The half elf was staring at her food, the half fiend was staring at the half elf. The stalemate lasted a few more minutes, amidst light conversation between the shrunken giant and the swords woman.

"Is there desert?", asked Sarin calmly finally breaking his silence.

"Not tonight . I'm sorry. Ran out of sugar.", Sharliss responded with a smile.

"That's a shame. If you will excuse me ladies I need a walk. ", said Sarin nodding his head to the three. Nymk detected an edge in his voice. In her experience it meant someone was about to attack or retreat. The basic fight or flight instinct everyone had.

When Sarin nodded Sharliss began giggling like the little girl she pretended not to be.

"What was that about? ", asked Nymk with concern for the half elf.

"Oh its nothing. Just a little experiment I concocted it. ", smiled the half fiend.

* * *

><p>"So I'm gonna get the biggest carriage I can. A pair of hot whores...then parade around the city hitting every fancy joint in town, throwing my cash around and acting like a big man.", stated Kirgi proudly as he described to his comrades how he was going to spend his share of the profits.<p>

Petrus and Adria both rolled their eyes at their comment. Although they both respected the dwarves skill and bravery, his investing strategy left a lot to be desired.

Petrus sighed, "There was a store that sold astral diamonds here last time we passed through. I'll most likely convert what I can into those. Normally I would acquire magic items, but the magical vendors in this dimension have ...questionable wares..."

"Bah...whats so good about astral diamonds. Keep your money in Grommish Crowns, its the most acceptable currency anywhere. Even us dwarves have accepted it as our coin of choice.", stated the dwarf.

Petrus reluctantly agreed. It was true, whatever faults the Grommers had, they knew how to mint a valuable coin. Not only was their purity almost guaranteed, but they also employed several "trouble shooting" units to deal with counterfeiters and coin shavers. Despite being a backward dimension the Grommish Crown was easily accepted in such places as Sigil, Greyhawk, the City of Brass, the Iron Fortress of Dis , Calimshan and even his homeland by the Inner Sea. Still, there was something prestigious of owning astral diamonds. It was the currency of gods, titans, demon lords, Infernal Dukes and Eladrin Princes. In his own way, owning Astral diamonds made Petrus feel like a "big man".

"The last time we visited Grom City, I must admit I did not have time to fully explore it. I would like your permission to see how such a bizarre kingdom operates.", stated Adria.

"Yes a monarchy run by a meritocracy under the guise of a plutocracy. It is a very interesting system of government they have here.", Petrus nodded , despite being his eidolon she had her own independent impulses. Although self determination wasn't encouraged, the fact she asked politely made the summoner more agreeable.

"Huh? I thought the Royal Adventurers pulled the strings around here.", replied the dwarf.

"Exactly what I mean.", replied Petrus.

The dwarf nodded. He wanted to argue, but the summoner appeared to agree with him. Instead he shrugged and turned to his unusually quiet friend Halvor.

"So whatcha going to do with your loot , boss? Head back north and shove it to your older brothers faces. ", asked the dwarf, perfectly serious with the course of action he suggested.

Halvor was lost in thought but recovered when he noticed the dwarf staring at him, "Oh...my loot...I dunno ...its a fair bit of of coin, but not enough for my plans."

Petrus, Kirgi and even Adria all seemed intrigued. "Plans? Going to purchase your own barony? Start a mercenary company? Become a merchant Prince?", the three asked.

Halvor nodded at their suggestion. His actual idea would have surprised his three friends. Although it was too soon to be sure, he was thinking more of a humble estate in the country side. With a blue haired woman at his side.

* * *

><p>Zax needed some fresh air.<p>

He tried the talking route with Darwen but that only resulted in more talking and a little flirting. Nothing serious enough to satisfy his urges though.

The tiefling was frustrated, he could normally get any woman he wanted in bed after a few days, but the elven beauty staying in his wagon was different. He could almost feel the sexual tension between them, but his advances were all dodged and evaded as easily as she had slipped by his sword blows in sparring.

He admitted the whole getting her to train him in sword fighting was a big sham from the start. He just wanted to get close to her, having her show off her swordsman ship would put her at ease. Instead of getting in bed with her, all he got was scrapes and bruises. He admitted her skill with the blade exceeded his expectation and was even pleasantly surprised he was learning a lot from her tutelage but that wasn't the purpose of the whole thing at all.

He liked the elf, and wanted to take things slow with her, but after several dinners and sparring matches, he seemed to be getting nowhere with her.

*Thunk*.

Zax stopped as the sound of an arrow paralyzed him. Was it the sniper? Was he under attack? Or did the sniper decide it was time to change sides and finish him off personally.

*Thunk*

Zax looked around and breathed a sigh of relief. It was Chins. He was firing arrows at a tree stump. Zax looked at the cluster of his arrows, and noticed the tight grouping.

"Good shot. ", complimented the tiefling. Although he didn't particularly like Chins, he didn't particularly dislike him either.

"Thanks...Oh its you Zax. Didn't see you coming. Where's your girly girl elfy elf. ", said Chins as he fired another arrow into the stump. His last shot was exceptionally good, and even split the arrow already on the crude bullseye he drew.

Zax paused and a cold chill ran up his spine. Was Chins the sniper? As he contemplated the thought, he quickly dispelled it. It would be impossible for Chins to be the sniper , how would the fat half elf even make it up an alley roof, let alone a cliff wall. Also the sniper used black arrows, the one's Chins were using seemed mundane at best.

"Oh, Darwen is...she's fine.", replied Zax sadly, making no attempt to hide his frustration.

"Girl troubles I see.", stated the half elf simply. He took a swig of a previously unseen bottle of wine and casually tossed it to Zax before he replied.

Despite Zax's stumbling earlier in his sparring match, the tiefling was still very fast and reactive. He easily caught the bottle and took a deep gulp. He normally wouldn't touch something that met the lips of the ugly guard in front of him, but for some reason he over came his standards of hygiene.

The two drank in silence for awhile, Chins even let Zax shoot his bow for a bit. To his surprise he was remarkably accurate with the weapon though not as accurate as Chins.

"I'm trying to be nice with her, you know. I could have rushed things and demand the sex thing right away, but it didn't feel right. But the harder I chase the farther she runs. Like I'm not new at this ...I've chased many women before , but after a few dates they're practically spreading their legs for me.", stated the tiefling. Partially boasting , but generally from experience.

Chins shook his head. "Look Zax...those were humans. Elves are different. Not that much different, but its a math thing you see."

"Math?", asked Zax tentatively. Zax was well versed at addition , subtraction , even multiplication and division. He even took some accounting courses and did quite well in them. Higher forms of the science they called math required him to hire a professional.

"Yeah math. ", burped the half elf, "Let's say it takes you ...hmmm...your kind of thin ..girls like that...and you don't have disfiguring scars...lets say with a human girl it takes you 5 dates to get laid normally. Humans live for what? 100 years? Well elves live for 500...so multiply by 5 ...err...so 25 dates to have teh sexay time with an elf. "

"25? hmmm even though the caravan is breaking up soon I can work with that number. ", replied the half drunken Zax. Zax knew he was closer to fully drunk since Chin's reasoning seemed perfectly logical to him.

"Its worse...I'm assuming from the fact they only took women prisoners...the bandits were less then kind to your little girly girl elfy elf...so you have to factor that in too. So lets say double if she's mentally weak...quad...qua...quadruple if she's mentally strong. so 50 to 100.", continued Chins.

"eerr weak willed women recover from rapes faster? ", asked Zax puzzled.

"Hell no...if anything they're more vulnerable to further abuse. Trust me on this, my mother made me work in a women's shelter once. ", said the fat half elf taking another swig of his bottle.

Zax made a note of this. He thought Darwen was mentally resilient if anything. Of all the prisoners they rescued she was the most coherent and level headed . So according to the love guru Chins it would be at least 100 dates till she let him have his way with her.

"I'm not done. She's a soldier I take it well...thats good new for you ...take 20 % off their number. Army and mercenary folks are easy lays. So that's what ...40 to 80?", continued Chins.

"Lets go with 80 .", replied Zax , mesmerized by the drunken half elfs knowledge.

"However...hic...she's a bladesinger...one of those special prestegeeee professions, like elderly knight or arcane looooossserrr . She has to take special training, develop discipline and other crap for that, so that's an easy triple multiplier...so that's ...hmm can we say 300?", asked the large drunk.

"240...", replied Zax . 240 is not bad.. That's only 8 months thought Zax.

"I ain't done yet...She has grey hair...that's an easy double right there. What is that? 1000?", asked Chins.

"Closer to 480...", said Zax quickly adding the time.

"Yeah 480...and remember that's 480 quality dates. Eating dinner together or taking a walk don't count...I'm talking about 480 days of hand holding, acting interested, ummm sharing feelings...that type of crap. ", Chins said while shaking his head.

"480 days ...till I get laid! ", Zax exclaimed. The numbers finally sunk into the tieflings head and he wasn't happy with the result. "That's ridiculous ! Nobody is worth that !"

Zax began to gesticulate wildly, but Chins grabbed him by the arm. Despite his speed, the half elf proved faster...and much stronger. He forced the tiefling to sit next to him, and put his strong arms over his shoulders.

"Listen Zax...480 dates is a long time for a tiefling, its even a long time for a half elf, but that's not that much for an elf. If you don't think she's worth it ...well that's up to you . You can walk away. However life is short, people are bound and tied to things they have no control over. Think it over hard, if she's worth it and you have the opportunity ...go for it man.", waxed the half elf in a philosophical tone.

Zax considered his words and nodded. He knew he was drunk, and he knew he was taking love advice from a drunk, but at that moment of time some of what he said made sense. Girly girl elfy elf...err he meant Darwen had hit a hard time recently, it was unfair to ask her to open up to him so easily. Zax knew she wouldn't be hanging around him forever, she would stay at least until Grom City and leave after booking passage to the north. He would just let things go at their own pace he supposed.

The two finished off the bottle, and shot a few more arrows at the target. Zax's aim grew progressively worse, while Chin's arrow grouping was still remarkably tight and accurate.

"So...why are you out here? ", asked Zax . He was drunk but he learned a long time ago not to slur his speech while inebriated. Driving a carriage drunk was against the law in Lower Lueders, a law that Zax broke many times but was never charged with due to that simple skill he learned.

Chins thought about Zax's for a long time. Zax considered asking it again but the half elf finally answered. "We had dinner, we ran out of food. I left .", was his reply.

Zax thought that was an odd statement. Something else was bothering the fat archer. Did he have a fight with Sharliss? Did the darkness drive him away...or was it eating at his brain? A very real concern gripped Zax at his new found friend.

Before he could speak again thought Chins added something to his speech,"Ya knows...sometimes what you think you want is not what you really want. Even if someone points it out to you. Its still comes as a shock to you when you don't even know your own goals."

Zax had no clue what the half elf just said but nodded anyways. Their bottle of wine ran out and the mood began to turn sour. Zax quickly remedied the situation when he reached into his satchel of documents and produced a bottle of Tornic's finest red wine. He kept it in his satchel if he ever thought a tax collector could be persuaded by simple drink. It didn't seem likely but it had helped him a few times in the past.

"Zax...you're a man of many surprises !", declared the staggering Chins.

"I know...as well as my flare with the ladies, its one of my many gifts.", laughed the tiefling who was joined in laughter by the half elf.

* * *

><p>"Hmm ...looks like Sarin is getting drunk ..with Zax of all people", said Sharliss with a disapproving frown.<p>

"He's not a very good guard is he.", replied Halvor in the cool night breeze.

"Ahh...I couldn't fire him. Sarin is more useful then he looks. He's kind of my sworn guardian. I consider him family.", replied the priestess with a smile. She turned away from the sight of her body guard and the former focus of her attention and concentrated her eyes on the tall handsome Halvor.

"The dress you're wearing...it looks the same but different. In a nice way.", complimented Halvor.

Sharliss's pale skin grew slightly red at the comment. She immediately tried to smooth the dress out to cover her legs , but it had little effect. "I had a growth spurt recently. The clothes are different, I'm different. I think I've grown almost an inch in a week. ", she said in shame , half expecting the knight to flee from her true demonic nature.

"Growth spurt?", asked Halvor more curious then repulsed.

Sharliss sighed and nodded, "To put it mildly I age ...faster then a human. I'm not sure of the exact equation but I guess triple the speed of a normal human. Besides the obvious physical effects there are mental ones as well. I feel I crave new experiences to make up for the fleeting time I have . I feel if I don't seek them out they will pass me by. I know I probably will never live the life I dream of, but I know I won't be satisfied unless I try.", she explained.

Halvor brushed the a strand of blue hair from her head and looked at the small twisted horn on her head. He stared into her face and she weakly smiled back. He noticed a slightly elongated and sharp incisor tooth in her mouth. She caught his glare and turned away, suddenly embarrassed at who she really was. She knew meeting the knight at this hour was a bad idea and began to walk away, but he caught her arm and held her with a strong firm grip.

"As you know. I'm the son of the Baron of Veb. A small but prosperous barony north of Lower Lueders. As the youngest of 3 sons I received the finest schooling, the best training, and even the finest equipment. Sadly I'm also left with no inheritance. I know I could stay at home, and have father wed me off to some boring cow like noble woman, but that's not what I want. I want to face the world on my own terms with my only my wits , strength and skill to guide me. Its probably a foolish ideal, but I won't be satisfied unless I try.", he said.

Sharliss melted as his touch and hugged the knight. The sullen girl then returned a bright smile back at him "You should have said Its probably a foolish dream, but I won't be satisfied unless I try. That's how I said it. If you're gonna copy me to win my heart you could at least get the wording straight !", she giggled.

Halvor nodded "I know ...but give me credit, I only heard it once. I had to think quick to make it work in my speech.', he laughed.

Sharliss kissed him on the cheek then sat next to him. "You saw my teeth. I never had sharp teeth before. I must admit it's going to make things more difficult. Horns I can hide, teeth are a different matter. "

"The school knows you're a tiefling right?", the knight asked.

Sharliss nodded, "I'm not worried about the school. I ..I don't want to be teased by the other students. I can handle being shunned and feared, but teasing won't be good."

Halvor looked surprised, "I didn't think you of all people would be concerned about being teased. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. I'm sure your big ol body guard there will give anyone who dares to tease you a good old thrashing.", the knight said with a laugh.

Sharliss laughed, "That's what I'm afraid of ! Its going to be to difficult to explain to the instructors the trail of broken bones and smashed noses he'll leave."

Halvor chuckled but soon stopped as he found the charming Sharliss snuggle closer to him. He put his arm around her and savored the moment. A clear night sky, in the mountains, with a beautiful girl at his side, he couldn't ask for too much more at the moment.

"My fangs don't repulse you? ", asked the girl timidly.

"Nope. It makes you look...feisty.", replied the knight.

"How about these...", Sharliss asked while pointing the curved bone spurs on her head.

"Makes you look...horny...", jested the knight.

"Hmm..how about this ?", asked Sharliss as a long reddish appendage left the back of her skirt and waved playfully in front of him.

The knight was surprised but didn't show it. He thought for a moment before replying, "I like a girl with good tail. "

Sharliss opened her mouth in shock, but said nothing. She didn't expect such a crude joke from the knight. Her shock quickly turned to a nervous smile though. She reached behind her back and slowly undid the buttons on her dress.

Halvor watched the girl with numb shock. He didn't expect to progress so rapidly in his relationship with Sharliss and in a way he was disappointed. He thought the girl would at least demand a long courtship ritual. Despite his thoughts, he didn't want to show his disapproval and let this opportunity slip by.

Before the knight could react, Sharliss spun so her back faced him. 2 sets of small bat wings sprouted from her back. One pair grew from mid shoulder then other from her lower back. The appendages seemed to unfurl from their long captivity and shook and fluttered at their freedom. "How about these...do these repulse you?", asked the girl nervously, as she shyly revealed her back.

Halvor had not guessed that the girl's demonic heritage was so strong, from the tone of her voice he guessed it was something she didn't share with just anyone. He gently touched one of the leathery bat wings and it quivered at his touch.

"Can you fly with them?", he asked

"No...they're too small...Or at least I don't think I can fly with them. I honestly don't know. ", she replied . She then paused and her wings seemed to stretch out as far as they could, "Maybe a future growth spurt will give me larger wings, but currently I can't ."

Sharliss's wings quickly folded back, and she redid the buttons on her dress . The knight attempted to assist her but she spun away still too modest for his assistance. It didn't matter though, her prehensile tail seemed more then capable of filling the role of a third hand.

After she felt she was "decent" again, she sat back next to the knight. Halvor sensed her uneasiness and drew her closer with his strong arms. She smiled and placed her head on his chest. Sharliss listened to the beat of his strong heart, and for a second wondered at her mortality .

"It doesn't matter to you that I age ...fast. The next time I see you , I might be an old maid.", she said in a small voice.

Halvor stroked her hair gently and considered her question. "I'm a Knight of Veb. I make my living putting my life on the line. To be honest I can't guarantee "a next time" our paths cross. All I care about is the present. In the present , all I can think of is an enchanting girl with blue hair that I first saw in the coliseum. If you're worry about life spans, well I think there's a 50 50 chance that you will out last me.", he stated as she gripped him tighter.

"Only 50 50? I think I can deal with those odds.", she said as they watched the starry night sky.

* * *

><p>The last leg of the journey was rather pleasant from Zax's perspective. They were out of the mountains and were now passing through a pastoral rural landscape. People were shocked that a caravan had braved the Shattered Mountains and crowds gathered as they passed through each village. The merchants did some brisk business, but Zax knew that the bulk of their trade and profits were in Grom City. Not that it affected Zax's payment, but as a businessman he knew that if the merchant's made money that meant a possible bonus for him.<p>

Zax was also pleasantly surprised when Adria gave him two sacks full of treasure. Adria usually remained hidden in the aether or something, but the sacks were too heavy for Petrus to lift. The eidolon explained that it was his "well earned" portion of the troll treasure. Zax caught the sarcasm in her voice but didn't comment on it, he was too mesmerized by the amount infront of him. The first sack was purely coins, Zax quickly deduced it was close to twenty five hundred gold worth . The second sack was various baubles and apparently magical items. Zax was a fair appraiser of goods, and determined that it was another two thousand plus an indeterminate value for the magic items. It was a ring, an amulet and some a shortsword. Zax had no real use for them, but knew that even minorly enchanted items were worth at least a grand a piece.

"Adria...this is worth as much if not more then what my share of the caravan's profits pay. Why go through all this trouble if we can get just as much if not more killing monsters.", asked Zax as he marveled at his share of the loot.

The eidolon shrugged, "Well, the caravan is guaranteed payment. Hunting for trolls is hit and miss really. They might have treasure or they might be broke. "

"Well...if they didn't have treasure ...we could have hunted something else in the mountains. From my impression, the area is teaming with caves full of monsters. ", replied Zax.

"Yes...that's true...but you would have to call yourself an adventurer then I guess.", answered the ebon skin Eidolon.

The caravan had arrived finally to their destination. Grom City...the jewel of the north. From a distance it certainly lived up to its reputation. It was built on a massive hill. It appeared to Zax there were 5 rings of walls and defensive structures around the main hill. Afterwards the city and the villages around the city seemed to sprawl around it like some great blossoming plant. Fetch recalled his own city of Lower Lueders. That city seemed to grow like a cancer from the docks, but Grom City seemed different, even from a distance it seemed vibrant and prosperous.

A nudge broke Zax's concentration . Zax turned and it was Buckviii or Eight Bucks. The pony had pestered Zax for the last few days, always sniffing at the pocket where he kept his dorf root powder.

"Looks like he's taken a liking to you.", said Kirgi.

Zax nodded , unwilling to divulge what he suspected was the pony's true motivation.

"When you two stormed the bandit fort, you must have forged a bond between him. A shame though , I was hoping to forge one myself with him. You don't find too many trained dwarven war ponys around.", sighed the dwarf.

"Yes...old Buckiii...errr Eight bucks...is quite the scrapper. I even saw him stamp a bandit into the ground. ", Zax said while swinging his pockets away from the drug hungry pony.

"Yes...he's a remarkable beast isn't he. Well...since we're breaking up, I want you to have him. For saving my neck back in Lower Lueders, and making this wild caravan scheme work. I don't have to tell you again that we couldn't have done it without you. ...ooops guess I just did.", chuckled the dwarf.

Zax nodded, he wanted to reply to the dwarf but he was busy backing up from the persistent beast. Buckviii for his part smelled what he was after and wanted another hit.

Kirgi watched the pony affectionately follow Zax, he was slightly jealous of the tieflings rapport with the animal, but he knew that it was one of the things that separated heroes from common thugs like himself. "Take care of him ok...it looks like hes developed a real dependence on you. He's like addicted to you or something."


	15. Chapter 15

"Captain Maiale ?", asked the corporal nervously.

"What is it? ", replied the the corpulent half elf captain angrily . He hated being disturbed, especially during second lunch. He was the captain of the northern gate in Grom City , and he was one of the most prestigious men in the city guard. Because of the importance of his position, lackeys were always asking him to fix things out of his control. For example the fact that caravan traffic had mostly dried up during his watch was not his concern, in fact it made his job easier. Publicly he blamed the lazy Northern Grommers for their lapse in maintaining the pass through the Shattered or Broken Mountains, but the fact was that he benefited greatly from he passes closure. Extra time to eat being one of the perks.

The corporal saluted the very large half elf and quickly gave his report. "There's a caravan at the north gate sir."

Captain Maiale raised an eyebrow, "From the Dwarven Freeholds, or the Orc lands?", he asked.

"...No sir...Lower Lueders.. ", replied the soldier as he began to sweat under the huge half elf's gaze.

"Impossible! There's demons and sorts of other crap in the pass. We even got reports that bandits had taken over Fortress Grom. ", said the captain angrily shaking his jowls. Bits of food scattered around the room as the half elf raged . The corporal winced as pieces of some unidentified white meat landed on his uniform.

"Its true sir. We are processing them now. Tax Collector Inutile has requested your presence...there's some "complications" with their forms. ", the soldier said nervously.

The obese half elf , shifted his massive bulk and rose from his chair. He ignored the corporal and heavily stomped around the room. The captain was all too happy for the pass to close, it provided him and his "friends" a perfect market to dump their inferior and over priced goods . If the trade route up north was opened , he would take a severe financial hit. Initially he just planned to hassle the merchants or restrict access. Fortune smiled on his private venture when rumors of a demon invasion began filtering from Northern Grom . The demons attacking was a convenient excuse to close the pass all together. If he really wanted to, he could have lead an armed expedition to open it. Even if resistance was stiffer then expected there was always the elite elements of the First Army at his disposal. Their services didn't come cheap, but they were head and shoulders over the regular guard and army companies he had "free" access too. Not that he would ever do such a thing, he was happy the way things were. However the fat half elf's world seemed to crumble before him as he heard the corporal's report.

Maiale paced around the room, the floor groaned at his passing. "What should I do?", he thought. If they are from the north, then the news would spread. Soon people will be making the dangerous but profitable journey through the Shattered Mountains again. He would have to increase the guard to protect them from his end, and more importantly the stakes he had in several import/export companies would plummet. He didn't have time to unload his shares in them, he would go bankrupt. The captain shuddered as he recalled the debts he owed, without a means to service his finances he could face the dreaded Grommish Bankruptcy court. No amount of networking with the Royal Tax Collectors could save him, they liked nothing better then seeing a man of his position fall from grace. Maiale gulped nervously as thoughts of doing manual labour to repay his debts crossed his mind.

"Sir...sir...your orders?", asked the corporal.

The obese half elf wondered if he could hop onto a boat and sneak out of town. Sadly his handsome form made any form of skulking difficult. Even if he escaped, it wouldn't be hard to track him down, Corellon knows he left deep tracks.

The half elf growled, there was only one thing to do. It was a slim chance but he had no other recourse. He had to go through their paperwork, and jump on any discrepancy he could find. Make it so this caravan would never came here again. Everything from seizing "illegal" cargo, imposing "special" duties , and of course ...throwing every tax at them in the book. He had to make it so that this caravan and its occupants rued the day they came to Grom. Hopefully it would serve as a cautionary tale to others . His superiors would of course question and most likely reprimand him or possibly demote him for his actions, but that was better then the ruin that faced him otherwise. It would give him time, to pull up stakes and settle his affairs. He wondered how Southern Grom was at this time of year.

* * *

><p>Tax Collector Inutile was sweating profusely. The hardened and scarred warrior thought he must have looked like Captain Maiale at that moment. A comparison he found no humor from. Already a third of the caravan had cleared customs. That wasn't surprising , he prided himself on being as efficient as he was ruthless. The thing that worried him was the small amount of taxes that were being collected and how organized their paper work was.<p>

It was uncanny. It was unnatural. It was UNGROMMISH!

The Inutile admitted he was more the "kick down the door , seize everything " type of tax collector, but he also considered himself quite skilled with the ledger side of his profession. Whoever prepared or coached these merchants or guards seemed to know every loop hole and tax trick imaginable . His reputation as a ruthless enforcer of the Grom's laws was at stake.

The day started off fine. There were rumors that a caravan was coming. Inutile didn't like to deal with common rumors but was surprised when the phantom caravan materialized. Besides filling in the dotted lines, he didn't really care where the caravan was from or what it did to get here. He was just there to processes them , and make sure Grom got its fair shair.

Inutile noted that the first two wagons had all their tax receipts properly ordered and filed. Which wasn't strange but definitely uncommon. He examined them to see if any had been falsified but everything seemed to be in order. He was a little curious at some of the exemptions they claimed. Military assistance exemption, Citizen militia rebate, Knight's retinue refund... Everything was by the book , but Inutile was curious that they were all authorized by a Lieutenant of the Grom Militia or the Knight Commander of the Order of the Husky. After the second wagon, Inutile ordered one of his aides to dig out one the massive book of official Military and knightly organizations in Grom . Sure enough, the Order of the Husky was listed, and there was even an asteric noting that it was one of the more prestigious and famed orders. Inutile knew that militia exemptions were easily enough gained, but to falsely use the name of one of the great orders for tax purposes was suicide. If the knights found out they would surely destroy the person that sullied their name and probably seek out and punish the merchants who benefited from them as well. The tax collector sighed as he saw everything was in order and just filed the documents to be reviewed by one of the representatives of the Silver Order or directly by the Knights of the Husky.

The third wagon seemed more bizarre then the first two. While the other two were occupied by clearly merchants, the third reeked of adventurers or at least nobles. A large half elf drove the wagon, he appeared to be a warrior of some sort. While Captain Maiale was just grossly fat, this man had the large muscular build of one of the sumotori from Monty Nargar or of a champion Lemball lineman. The other occupants consisted of his sexy maid, a short pretty northern girl with some exotic and most likely expensive ornate armor, and an exotic looking tiefling girl wearing a very short black dress. Inutile wondered if the large half elf was a pimp of some sort, but that didn't matter, he could smell the gold he would rake from them. The tax collector was disappointed though. They carried no trade goods only personal effects. To his surprise the maid presented him with the seal of the Grand Champion . He rarely saw such a seal, but knew it indicated she was not to be trifled with and was exempt from most Grommish laws. He reluctantly let her through, and was happy to find that the northern girl had no previous receipts. He detected only a magical spear from her, and was ready to tax the hell out of her to make up for his previous "customers". Sadly before he was able to the tiefling girl presented him with something he had never seen before. She claimed that the northern girl , the half elf, and obviously herself were under its protection.

Inutile was shocked, it was the legendary Scroll of Protection from Taxes. They had their licenses and reciepts for census purposes, but the scroll indicated that they were exempt from whatever taxes could be levied on them. Inutile questioned the legitimacy of the scroll, only the Emperor of Grom, his Chancellor, the head Royal Adventurer, and the dreaded Sir Eggbert could issue. Even the Head Royal Tax Collector could not issue such a decree. With the throne vacant , and Sir Eggbert missing for the last while, that only meant two people were capable of issuing it. Inutile examined the document and saw that it was issued recently, he hoped the captain would arrive soon, but knew it would be unwise to stall the holder of such a document. He verified it the best he could but knew he couldn't stall any longer, so reluctantly he let the wagon pass.

Each wagon afterwards seemed to be more like the first two. They all had their receipts, documents, licenses, and most importantly tax exemptions properly prepared for his inspection. Even a contraband search produced nothing, and the tax collector almost wept as he allowed them in the city, with only a tiny tax levied.

By the time the corporal returned with the movement challenged Maiale the last merchant wagon had passed through. Only the guards and caravan owners were left.

"Wots going on?", demanded the out of breath half elf. The main gate was only 300 yards from his office, but the effort had clearly drained the captain.

Inutile detested the overweight man, he wouldn't last a day in the field, but sadly he knew the man also out ranked him. "Just processing this caravan. ", he said. Leaving out the details of how efficient and tight their books were.

"Make sure you throw everything at them! Every tax, levy , duty you can dig up against these losers. ", demanded the half elf.

Inutile shrugged his large shoulders , he didn't want to tell of his defeat but he was in a corner now. "I've tried... but their books are in order. I've never seen anything like it.", admitted the defeated Tax Collector.

"WOT? ", cried the captain with his jowls quivering."Gimmie that! ", he exclaimed while snatching the Tax Collector's ledger.

The Captain squinted his beady eyes, and Inutile thought he looked akin to some sort of demon or a great wild boar . After several minutes the captain threw the ledger onto the ground.

"Military assistance exemption ! Citizen militia rebate ? Knight's retinue refund ! This is bull shit ! The bulk of this is based on some lieutenant Zax guy or the Knight Commander of the Husky. That's northern Grom trickery I tell you.", huffed the half elf.

The tax collector sighed, "It seems all on the level. I can forward this paperwork to be confirmed in Northern Grom if you like. To see if this Lieutenant Zax exists and has the authority to issue these exemptions. If there are irregularities we can issue a warrant for back taxes. The knightly retinue thing is a different matter though, if their claims are falsified then they must deal within their own ranks . ", shuddered Inutile.

"What's this about wagon three. Its blank. ", asked the captain narrowing his gaze.

Inutile did not like the captain. He thought he was a grovelling self serving man, who only remained in position due to bribes and being one step ahead of the courts. He wasn't afraid of the man. He had bowed to his whims in the past , but knew it was his duty to keep the holder of the Grand Champion's seal in confidence , and more importantly the Scroll of Protection from Taxes safe.

"I'm sorry sir. That's need to know information. ", he said with menace in his voice. He hoped the captain would challenge him, so he could take great pleasure in knocking him down, but sadly his scary tax man voice was too much for the half elf.

Maiale heard that tone from the tax collector before, and knew he didn't like it . However he needed the man's experience right now. He mentally crossed off the third wagon, and decided to investigate it himself later. He concentrated on the tax exemptions on hand.

"Well screw the third wagon then. This other stuff is what concerns me. As captain of the Northern Gate, I order the caravan to be detained till we sort out the legitimacy of this Lieutenant Zax and the authenticity of this Knight Commander of the Husky business.", the captain angrily ordered. He knew he was grasping at straws , his job was on the line now but it was the only thing he had left.

"Yes Sir. ", said the tax collector grimly as he nodded to the guard to carry out the orders, "You do realize that this might take weeks if not months to process. Grom prides itself on the speed it does business. The courts, the merchant league, even the Royal Adventurers might see this as you "stepping out of bounds" so to speak. Your job is literally on the line here.", said the adventurer calmly barely suppressing his delight.

A ham like fist smashed into the tax collector's face. The large man did not expect the unexpected attack. Despite his corpulent mass, the captain possessed amazing speed and power. " Your face is on the line, if you keep giving me sass, you over glorified toll both collector. " , said the captain over his fallen colleague.

Inutile tried to answer, but realized his jaw was broken. He tried to stagger up, but the captain kicked the muscular man in the gut instead. The sickening sounds of bones snapping could be heard through out the gate house. Everyone paused from the first blow, but now they were completely frozen from the second.

"No ones going anywhere , till we sort this out!",roared the Captain.

A pretty girl with light blue hair and a small black dress raced to attend to the fallen tax collector. The Captain sneered at her and considered kicking her as well. He quite liked his co worker eating dirt beneath him, it struck the proper fear into the guards under his command, and didn't like that someone was easing his pain.

The captain wound up and prepared to kick the girl as well, but suddenly a voice stopped him. A very well tanned youth wearing a sash appeared, next to him with a slender elf in leather armor. " Sir? I believe I can answer any questions you have."

* * *

><p>The Captain and the well dressed youth retreated into his office to sort things out. Upon the captain's insistence the elf waited outside while they handled business. The captain's room was dimly lit with no windows, it was also very well padded and little sound could escape it. The captain didn't care if the elf was outside, he knew the room was sound proof. Occasionally he had to deal with troublemakers, and the less witnesses the better.<p>

"You prepared these forms I take it?", asked the Captain angrily, barely suppressing the urge to rip the smiling boys head off.

The boy passed him a scroll, "As you can see I graduated in the civil accountant brotherhood of Lower Lueders . Although I was not top of my class and it is not my chosen profession it does allow me to practice book keeping in the 3 realms of Grom , the Karamekios, the land of the knights and most other civilized countries. Excluding Ostland , the Broken Lands, and the Orc Kingdoms of course."

Maiale snorted ,he loved dealing with these big mouths. Despite his oafish appearance he knew the tax laws well, probably as much as Inutile. He would let this man run off his mouth for awhile, then pounce on him and snap him in two. Both figuratively and physically. He hoped the boy would lose his temper and give him any excuse to destroy him. Even if he didn't give an excuse he could still crush him if he wanted to. The lack of windows and the sound proof walls made it his word versus his.

"Zax...you're Lieutenant Zax?", asked the brutish half elf.

Zax produced more documents and even presented a medal to the captain. "I served in the third Army during the Razing of Upper Lueders. The battle with the necromancer if you recall. Afterwards I wished to maintain my dutiful service to Grom and reported to the militia."

The half elf was now slightly impressed. He had considered doing the same thing himself when he retired. Not because he gave a damn about the job or law and order , but it was a good way to keep your taxes low.

"This military assistance exemption I keep seeing?", asked the half elf now more curious then angry.

"As you know fortress Grom was recently taken over by bandits led by an ogre mage of all things. Our caravan not only liberated the fortress but assisted them till relief arrived. I have affidavits from the surviving members, approved by their new commanding officer. If you need additional proof the elf outside served in the fortress when it fell, we also have the ogre mage...prisoner , if you require more evidence.", explained the tiefling calmly.

The captain snorted, he wasn't going to waste his time on something that could be quickly confirmed , he needed something that would take a long time. Something to tie up this caravan for a long time, especially if he had to make an escape. Maiale knew he could make a good living in the Orc Kingdoms, his unnatural nature and condition made it easy for him to blend in. He would miss most of his comforts though. Although he had no doubts of his ability to dominate the orcs, he suspected they lived hard spartan lives. A better alternative was one of the city states in Southern Grom. His gold would be worth twice as it was up here in those poor excuses for kingdoms. He could live like a king there, his only concern was the heat.

"How about this citizen militia rebate?", asked the half elf refocusing his attention at the task at hand.

"Ahh...as I have established earlier , I am a member in good standing with the Lower Lueders militia. Although this caravan isn't under military command, it purpose does serve the militia's purpose. In fact they even approved time off from my service to assist with the caravan . I am well with in my rights to offer them a rebate for the job they done. Mainly clearing out goblins, giants, and trolls from such a vital commercial route. ", explained Zax.

The captain's eyes narrowed. He didn't doubt the well tanned boy's words, but he thought it was suspicious. He could issue such a rebate himself, but he would never do such a thing unless there was a kick back involved. He wondered how much money the youth was raking from the merchants. The best he could do was submit this rebate back to Lower Lueders and see if they approve it. They most likely would, since clearing the pass benefited everyone ...except his financial backers and himself.

"Ok...ok...how about this Knight's retinue refund. Are you telling me you are all servants of this Knight Commander to the Husky? I find it hard to believe that he would let his entire retinue travel without him.", asked the giant half elf . He enjoyed this little game with the young boy and wanted to see how he would weasel his way out of this one.

"Of course not . A caravan of over a dozen wagons, with armed guards, and merchants...traveling without their master! Of course that's ridiculous. ", said Zax.

Maiale smiled and hadn't expect the boy to cave in so easily. It would be just a matter of book keeping to levy them the appropriate taxes and bankrupt them now. He sighed knowing he would probably have to handle the specifics himself, he suddenly regretted smashing Inutile's face in.

"...HOWEVER...", interrupted Zax, " This entire caravan exists partially to help me fulfill my Order's "quota" of quests and good deeds. I was in charge of clearing the pass for my Order, and I must admit I could not have done it without the assistance of this entire caravan. I know ..I know ..its an archaic rule set out by the Grommers to trivialize my sacred duty, but I can assure you that Royal Tax Collector Nayra herself had set me to complete this task to prove my order's worthiness. "

"...wait...you're the knight commander of the husky? ...Your a knight of the north?", asked the half elf in surprise.

"Yes sir...I know I know...a lowly tiefling like myself being a Knight Commander of the Famous Order of the Husky is improbable , but I assure you that I had passed the tests put before me by my dear friend Sir Vasa. I hope my loyal service to the order meets my mentors exacting standards.", said Zax with his best humble hero voice.

"...wait...you're a tiefling as well? ", the half elf said in surprise. Before he could answer, the corpulent half elf drew a deep breath through his nose and tasted the air. His feral were boar senses detected a hint of sulfur, charcoal and ash. Brimstone. The youth's scent confirmed his identity.

"Yes sir... I'm also part halfling as well. Shall I provide proper documentation for my heritage.", asked the tiefling smugly.

A chuckle sprang from Maiale's lips. Then full laughter. He considered just pummeling the "boy" at the end of the audit and claiming it was self defense. He was sure the courts would rule against him, but proper bribes and political maneuverings would get him just a wrist slap and a reprimand. Finding out he was a tiefling was just a gift. He could batter him to death with no repercussions. However...all that wasn't needed.

"Let me get this straight. You...a tiefling...you're a Knight Commander of the Order of the Husky? BWAHHHHAAAAA and Sir VASA was your mentor!", laughed the were boar.

"Yes sir. ", Zax replied a feeling of nervousness struck him. The big half elf recognized his drunken mentors name. Did he know Sir Vasa? Would he put him to the question? Despite paying a few gold for his title , it was still legitimate right? Would Sir Vasa strip him of his title if he knew he was using it only for tax purposes. Maybe he could tell Sir Vasa how he restored the orders reputation back into Grom's good books. Would he even care?

"HAHAHA Let me tell you something boy. I don't know if you really are a knight or not, but decades ago we had a flood of bogus knight claims. The Great Orders up North decided it was to everyone's benefit if they dealt with these false claims themselves. They set up some secret group to deal with it. Well not that secret, but it was mostly hush hush unless between them and the Grom government. As a Captain of the Guard however its my obligation to keep track of these things. The Order of the Arbiters I believe they're called. . A group that deals with the legitimacy of any claims of title and position. These guys aren't bookkeepers though. Sure they have their little books, and keep notes, but whenever they aren't sure they settle things the old fashioned way. Trial by combat, most often to the death. The last few months, most of them had left Grom . There's something about giants up north and most went back to their homeland to fight them, however recently one returned . To attend the funeral of a close friend. ", said the big captain.

He sorted through some papers on his desk , tears of laughter streaming from his face, "HAhaha...here it is. A sir VASA recently died, apparently drank himself to death. Well I was going to hold your caravan till we get confirmation of this knight commander, but we have the knight commander right here in front of me. And who better to confirm his identity then the Arbiter who was the friend of his mentor! HHAHAHAHAH", laughed the were boar while flailing his arms and limbs in delight.

Miaile laughed so hard, his table shook and collapsed. Fur even sprouted from his pointed ears, but he quickly recovered and retracted it. Not only was the captain going to stop the caravan but he was going to watch a Knight Arbiter crush the boy for him.

Zax saw his carefully prepared plans evaporate. He knew there was a chance that Vasa was in Grom City, but he recalled the knight left on good terms. A smile on his face and a bottle in hand . Even if he was here he was sure he could get a good word from him if his position was challenged. Thje half elf's revelations changed everything. Who could have guessed the knight had died? Who knew there was a secret organization of knights that rooted out guys like himself ? Zax grew angry at the large, obese ,corpulent, blubbery, rotund , bulbous, and generally grossly fat half elf. He would never strike a man from anger, he was too cowardly for that, but something snapped in him. Zax grabbed Dragon's flame and prepared to strike the man down.

The captain saw this and immediately readied a battle stance. He relaxed however when he saw the boy struggle with his sword, he couldn't even draw his own blade. He laughed even louder as the boy struggled hopelessly. Knight Commander indeed, this was going to be fun to watch. The fact he was a tiefling made things even funnier, knights hated tieflings. This boy was soooo dead. He wondered if there was still time to sell tickets to this soon to be very public very brutal execution.


	16. Chapter 16

"This is L - A - M - E ! ...LAME LAME LAME...", gesticulated Kirgi wildly.

"It will be just a couple more hours , then Zax will duel this Arbiter guy, then we can go celebrate not only his victory but our successful caravan run.", sighed Halvor at the agitated dwarf.

"I know that ...I just meant...this whole situation. Its so boring, so frustrating...I wanna do something, not just watch someone do it.", the dwarf said while pacing about.

The big knight looked at the dwarf in confusion. He wasn't sure what his point was.

"Let me explain. ", interrupted Petrus, " Our friend here is frustrated because he feels he is a spectator to some of the more dangerous aspects of our expedition. This duel included. I am guessing he wants some...how shall we say..."Action". ", said the summoner.

"YEAH ! That's it! What Petrus said, I want some action ! Since we started this thing, everything is Zax this...Zax that... even this duel, its all Zax. Let me see...I've been beaten up in an alley, got to throw some axes at some scrawny goblins, watch Zax fight a giant, hmm..I guess we got to chop up some trolls...that was cool but too bad it was at a choke point, no fun in that. ...then I got to watch Zax stomp trolls by himself at our camp, and of course watch him liberate a Fortress... Full of women! ", sputtered the dwarf .

"Calm down Kirgi. ", stated Halvor sternly." That's what we hired Zax for. We needed a hero to not only attract business, but to "trouble shoot" for us as well. We're pretty good in a scrap, but in the end we're just glorified caravan guards."

"I don't mind being a guard. Its a job I can plan and anticipate. It's like planning a small military campaign.", nodded Petrus.

"But...but...don't you guys feel like we are missing out? Look at you Hal...you're as fine a front line warrior as anyone I know. And Petrus, your magic is out of this world. You could have single handedly burn those trolls if you were set up properly. We could be grabbing the head line guys. You guys know I'm the biggest Zax fan out there, but we should aspire to be more like him, not some...well background characters.", Kirgi said in frustration.

Halvor shook his head, "Look...you know what you're describing. I'll tell you. Adventuring. Unfortunately... we aren't adventurers. We might have the skill, but we don't have the wild abandon and suicidal natures to be successful at it. We all agreed at the start of this to go for the smart money. After we've finished our commitments, you are free to pursue your dreams to throw your life away in some nameless dungeon fighting eldritch horrors, but for now ...let's stick to the plan."

"I was an adventurer once...till I took an arrow in the leg in a skirmish against Andoran freedom fighters.", nodded Petrus emphatically. "Trust me that hurt."

Kirgi grew red, but sighed in defeat. "I guess you guys are right. I'll leave adventuring for the fool hardy. Its just...don't you guys feel like we're missing out on some grand quests or noble endeavors?"

The big knight and the summoner considered the dwarfs statement. Despite their protests there was small part in both of them that agreed with Kirgi. Petrus knew adventuring was the path to easy power, although he controlled his urges it was something the summoner constantly craved . Halvor knew it was also the quick path to riches, why grind dangerous caravan routes for years when he could gain all he desired in one big haul. His own barony, respect from his father , bragging rights on his brothers, and most importantly to be worthy of the hand of a certain blue haired girl.

"Ahem...", spoke Adria from the darkness. Halvor and Kirgi were surprised at the presence of the ebony warrior, but Petrus waved her forward to speak.

"Although I am primarily an extension of Petrus's will, I can also add that parts of my essence have been summoned, slain and re summoned by various so called adventurers over the millennium. I can not recall the exact natures of their expedition, but I can assure you ..its not all "fun and games. Most of the times it is quite boring and monotonous...sometimes downright inane. ", said the eidolon.

Kirgi snorted at Adria's statement. "Yeah right. If we were real adventurers like...let's say the Warmaster and his cohorts, we would be eyeball deep in some grand quest right now. Fighting back to back in some adrenaline pounding, mind bending, will testing encounter right now."

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the north.<p>

"What's the hold up !", demanded Fetch over the roaring wind. The cleric and his companions had been slowly scaling a mountain to hopefully catch their foes by surprise. Fetch had sent his wife Tyris and the dwarf Ymir to scout the path, but was disappointed to find that their progress had been stymied.

"Its bad ...real bad...", Ymir shouted back. To accent her point, she pointed to a narrow chasm, with a frozen log connecting it. On the other side Fetch could see the bundled up bard Tyris waving enthusiastically at him.

"Eh...I don't get it? There's a chasm, but there's a log over it. I see Tyris on the other side...what's the problem?", asked the puzzled cleric.

"It's not that easy. The log..its icy. Its um really slippery. Tyris can cross it ...well because she's Tyris. The rest of us wont be so lucky.", explained the dwarf maid.

Fetch scratched his head, " Throw a rope across ?"

Ymir shook her head," Already tried that, there's nothing to attach to on the other side."

"Drive spikes in the log?"

"Log is too hard...even dwarven steel can't pierce it."

"Fly over the log with a spell or a summoned creature?"

"Winds are too fierce."

"Teleport?"

"Innate magical disruption here is too strong."

"Crawl on our bellies on the log?"

"Too slippery, we'll just slide off."

"Use magic to shape the ice ..or better yet use warp wood on the log. To create foot and hand holds?"

"Sorry...Magic log."

Fetch stared at the dwarf in frustration, he hoped she was joking but her grim visage told him that this obstacle was very serious indeed. They were the amongst the most powerful adventurers in the world, but they were stopped dead in their tracks...by a log.

"HEY What's the hold up!", demanded Frank as he caught up to the rest of the party.

Fetch shrugged and pointed to the icy log.

"An ice covered log. That's not gonna stop Frank of the Crab . Stand back losers , let me show you how a real adventurer handles this.", said the bold Knight as he pushed his companions aside.

Frank took a couple of tentative steps , but seemed to maintain his balance on the icy bridge. He turned to the group and gave them a thumbs up...before a gust of wind blew the knight into the chasm.

"L - A - M - E !", shouted the knight as he fell to his doom.

* * *

><p>"Wow, look at the size of that half elf. I knew you guys came in large and jumbo...but didn't know super giant size exists.", said Nymk with a hint of revulsion in her voice.<p>

"Yeah...that guy must really work out. He must be pretty dedicated to be able to get that big.", replied Sarin with awe.

Nymk paused and looked at the large paladin. She thought she misheard the half elf when it sounded like he was appreciative of the obese Captain Maiale's girth, but upon further examination it appears he was actually jealous of the man's physique.

"You can't be serious! The only thing that guy works on is stuffing his fat piggy face!", declared the astonished swords woman.

"Hey don't judge the guy! I bet he spends at least eight hours a day training and toning his body to get it into that shape. You're insulting him, myself and all half elves when you talk like that.", declared Sarin angrily at the lithe barbarian. He rose to his full height, and it appeared he was about to smash the swords woman with his ham like fists. Nymk was surprised by the normally cool headed Sarin, but quickly crouched into a defensive stance, with her fists balled up for a counter attack.

"That's enough...", interrupted Sharliss."Sarin, maybe it's best if you go take Isula for a little sight seeing. She's getting kind of fidgety in the big city."

The big half elf, hesitated but nodded his head. He spoke something in Jotun to the small giant, and she happily followed him.

"Wal..russss...", Isula said while pointing at Captain Maiale as they walked past.

"I'm sorry . You two have been great hosts but I didn't realize that I touched a sensitive subject when I commented on the fat Half elf captain's weight. I did not mean to cause that situation. I honestly didn't think it was an issue, we joke about Sarin's weight all the time.", apologized the swords woman.

Sharliss smiled, "It's ok. It's one thing to joke about yourself, but its different when its done to others. He get's very defensive about other half elves. He understands you didn't know any better."

"Know any better? Don't tell me you believe all that "fat" is good thing he spouts . I mean look at you, there's not an ounce of misplaced flesh on you. ", Nymk said in surprise to the tall and curvy Sharliss, with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"Oh of course not.", giggled the priestess, "It's just that...well its hard to explain..Do you want the short version or the long version?"

"Short version please.", said the barbarian. Nymk wasn't sure what the half fiend was talking about, but she did not feel it was necessary for a long version.

"Well to put it simply. The Mighty Zug. He's responsible for all this.", said Sharliss with a grin.

"Wait..wait...the Mighty Zug? The lemball player, the guy who's half legend half myth? He's the reason Sarin is fat?", asked the swords woman in surprise.

"Oh well...I was hoping for a gestalt moment but I guess its time for the long version. To begin with, its not just about Sarin. Its about all half elves in Grom.", sighed Sharliss.

"Wait..wait...", interrupted Nymk, "I don't like to reveal too much about my past...but let's just say I've been to many places, times, even dimensions. I am curious why only the Half elves in Grom and the surrounding countries are ...well simply put...really fat. I mean they don't look like this in Krynn, or Faerun. Or even the Outlands. Its just here. Also...despite my appearance I am much older then I look. I can verify that half elves did not look like this two hundred years ago. Is it something genetic , something in the food? A mutation of some sort?"

Sharliss didn't like to be interrupted , and waited for the youthful looking but apparently old barbarian to finish. When she was sure that Nymk had no more to say she continued, "Well , its hard to explain , but let me try. Those places you named, all have half elves, that is true. I've even been to a few of those places while being escorted by my sister, and I can confirm that the half elves there look nothing like the ones here. The reason lies not in genetics but social behavior. In all the places you named, the half elf populations are relatively low. The half elves there adapt to either the customs of their human or elven parents. Some of the real needy ones try to mix the two , resulting in a heritage inferior to both. There is no true half culture in those lands. "

Nymk nodded in agreement, in most worlds half elves appear to be just bigger elves, or even worse ..elves with beards.

"In Grom its different. For whatever reason, the half elf population is much larger then the elven base. I would estimate at least ten to 15 times larger. They are more numerous then halflings , and are almost as populous as dwarves, however...they are just a nation within a nation. Unlike dwarves, they don't even have their own clans or kingdoms, with the exception of the city of Barkwark of course. As an aside, I would like to note although the majority of the population in Barkwark is half elven it is a very inclusive city, not like most of Dwarven kingdoms I have the displeasure to visit.", sniffed the priestess.

Nymk wanted to ask what this had to do with the mighty Zug, but she held her tongue, recalling the displeasure it caused Sharliss earlier.

"The half elven demographics is not a unique one however. The half orcs and ...tiefling ...communities within Grom are also at similar crossroads. An entire nation with no real identity. Tribes of lost people with no music they can say belongs to them , no legends of their ancestors, no myths of their creators, and most importantly no heroes that they can identify as one of their own. Well as you know , about two hundred years ago the Mighty Zug, of Lemball fame, not only won the Blood Punch Bowl, but blazed an unprecedented path of heroics through the north. I'm sure some of the tales are over blown legends, like the time he kicked a mountain on an army of demons, but the fact remains a half elven hero as great as Monty Nabisco, Sampson, Barktoe, and even Kirk McDunn was born. This of course caused a seismic shift in the collective half elven psyche. No longer did young half elven children try to emulate heroes that they bear no resemblance or connection too, now they had someone they can call their own. Sure there were other half elven heroes before the mighty Zug that were equally legendary, but it was a perfect storm of heroic timing, population equilibrium, and cultural vacuum that caused him to be an inspiration to his people.", explained the priestess.

"Wait...that's it? Half elves are fat, because they want to emulate the Mighty Zug? It's an excuse for them to over eat and become lazy?", asked Nymk in shock.

The normally smiling Sharliss looked stunned at Nymk's reaction and shook her head, "No...please don't do that. You are attaching negative connotations to the idealized half elven figure. It's true they have to eat...even over eat to achieve their hefty weights, but by no means is it easy. ", said the priestess.

Sharliss stopped and scanned to see if her bodyguard was within earshot. She then leaned towards the swordsman. "Sarin is normally a very small eater. He works very hard to achieve his current weight. Despite his bravado at the dinner table, its not easy for him. ", whispered the priestess.

Nymk blinked her eyes in shock, "Wait...wait...Sarin looks the way he does ...because of the Mighty Zug! Because that big oaf was a big tub of lard, he's inspired three or four generations of half elves to reach dangerous levels of body mass ! He's not a hero ! He's a villain! I can't imagine the amount of suffering and health problems he's inflicted on his people, all because he wouldn't diet and lose a few pounds.", declared the swords woman in disgust.

Sharliss shook her head and attempted to explain, but Nymk continued her rant.

"So instead of being a buff hottie, Sarin's a walking blubber factory...all because of the mighty Zug! What did Isula call him...a walrus man! Sarin's a walrus man because of the mighty Zug! No ...I mean the entire half elven race are walrus men or...worse walrus women ... That is the most tragic thing I've ever heard. ", Nymk said with true sadness in her voice.

Sharliss waited again for the swords woman to continue before speaking again. The young priestess would normally be angry at the interruptions but she sensed the grief in Nymk's voice.

"Well ...not all half elves are "walrus" shaped. Sarin's father and aunt for example . They grew up in poverty, so were not able to feed enough to gain the preferred "look " of their people. The true crime is that their slim body types are ridiculed and ostracized by other half elves. Sarin's grandmother was spared that humiliation partially because she was practically raised as a human , and partly because her slim form was offset by her exaggerated shapely figure.", explained Sharliss.

Nymk stared in confusion at Sharliss's explanation.

"She had ample breasts and a big butt.",sighed the priestess.

"I can't believe they would revere someone that cursed their people so much. They should call him the Loser Zug or the Phony Zug or Zug the Corrupter! ", lamented Nymk.

"Well... before you past judgement on Zug, you are only looking on the negatives of his legendary status. True , he caused countless knee and back problems for half elves , and is mostly likely the number one source of heart disease and diabetes amongst his people , but he also inspired them to greatness as a people. As I said before, they were a people without a culture, without legends, with heroes! Well they got all that and more with Zug. What's a hundred extra pounds compared to the motivation that drives half elves to battle demons and dragons. What are "man boobs" compared to the determination instilled in them to explore that much further and journey that much farther then anyone else. What's an extra jowl or two compared to indomitable will power and the courage to fight against injustice. Before you answer that...let me ask you a question...since the time the Mighty Zug... "corrupted" his people, what have half orcs...or on a more personal note...tieflings done in that time. The answer is nothing. They've done nothing to distinguish themselves as a separate race other then a few failed rebellions and a couple of notable trouble makers. As I said before, they are at a similar crossroads the half elves found themselves in a few centuries ago, but they have not progressed any further for lack of an epic hero to guide them so to speak.", said the half fiend solemnly.

The swords woman considered all that the priestess told her. She liked Sarin ..liked him a lot, but would her feelings for him be the same if he was a muscular sculpted coward instead of a heroic mountain of blubber? Although the Mighty Zug was not perfect by any stretch of the imagination he was responsible for instilling the famous half elf tenacity and fighting spirit , not just their dreaded reputations at the dinner table. She wondered if the weight and pride could be separated or were they one and the same for a half elf. She only hazard the pain and the discipline that took to overcome it whenever Sarin forced himself to eat at the dinner table.

"How do you know all this?", respectfully asked Nymk. "I thought you were going to school, I didn't realize you already graduated."

"Oh...Sir Reinhardt has a very large library. Social Anthropology is one of many interests. ", the young priestess said with a smile.

"Thank you for the...education. I will be sure to be more mindful of my words in the future. Now if you excuse me , I need to walk, need some time to think about my former conceptions . ", said Nymk as she took her leave from Sharliss.

* * *

><p>A short time later Sarin returned with Isula. The pair each had a large stick impaled with candied meats and a goblet full of some fruity sugary drink. "Hey ...there's a fair in the market four blocks away...want some?", asked the half elf.<p>

Sharliss shook her head and ran a finger down her stomach then waist. "I have to watch my figure , silly."

"More for me.", smiled Sarin, "Hey, where's Nymk. I wanted to apologize to her , ...for my outburst earlier.", said the half elf sincerely.

"She's taking a walk...I told her the half elf origin story.", Sharliss said with a smile.

Sarin blinked for a second, then a knowing smile crept on his lips, "Oh, the one where we all revere the mighty Zug as a god or something. That's a good one. I love that story. It's like stupid enough to be funny,but true enough to be...relevant or something. Oh did you throw in the part about how I'm a small eater and it's a constant battle to maintain my weight?"

Sharliss smiled, "Let's just say , you owe me one. "

* * *

><p>"So is this duel ever going to start?", asked the big half elf. The caravan was still at the gate house , waiting for Zax and the Knight's Arbiter to duel to settle the issue of the legitimacy of the tiefling's title. Isula had already dozed off while waiting, while Sharliss was out discussing the "weather" with the big knight Halvor. Only Sarin and Nymk remained awake on the wagon.<p>

"Just be patient, this is a big city after all. I'm sure its just taking a while for this "arbiter" to come. ", chuckled the swords woman with a "cat who ate the canary " expression.

Sarin looked at the barbarian swords woman, and a thought dawned on him. "Hey...you're not one of those arbiters are you? Is that your secret order you've been trying to hide? Are you like the Arbiter for Lord Erland? That makes you the Emerald Arbiter right?", asked the half elf suddenly.

"..No...no...that's not the case at all.", stammered a surprised Nymk. "Errr...let's talk about something else. You mentioned your great grandfather is suppose to be Sir Hildraxel?"

Sarin shrugged, "Yeah, at least that's what I've been told. He's suppose to be a bad ass villain guy or something ."

"Bad ass villain? You sorely underestimate your ancestor. You don't seem to understand, Sir Hildraxel was suppose to be a demon in human form. The vilest monster that ever walked the tundra. He's done every atrocity you can think of, and I'm sure he's done some even your imagination can't even comprehend. ", shuddered Nymk.

Sarin frowned, "That's why I don't inquire too much about him. Its not a heritage to proud of."

Nymk shook her head, "It's true he had a black heart, but he also saved all the Northern Orders. As well as being evil incarnate, he was the most skilled man that ever held a blade. They say he defeated Sir Kalidor in his youth , fought Zalthar the Slayer to a standstill, and could even parry Lord Magdar's arrows with his sword. Hundred's of knights tried to bring him to justice but all failed.", the swords woman explained.

Sarin did not seemed to be impressed, he half suspected the tales of his great grandfather were as inflated as those of Zax's.

"You still don't believe me do you?", asked Nymk. "Let me assure you that unlike other legends...like Sampson and the Mighty Zug...Sir Hildraxel's exploits are all well documented. There's a host of primary and secondary sources to back up his exploits. From wanted posters, recovered journals of his victims, to court martial papers, his deeds are indeed true."

"Well...if everything I hear about him is true, how come some Knights say a Sir Feyaxel killed Yeenoghu the demonlord while other sources say Sir Hildraxel did it.", challenged the halfelf.

Nymk nodded knowingly,"Well I can easily explain that. Sir Feyaxel IS Sir Hildraxel. They are one and the same. As you know Sir Hildraxel was a despised villain. Yet for some reason, he met the gnoll lord in battle and defeated him. To my understanding, Lady Kalinka of the Lion knew that morale would sink if people found out that your great grandfather was responsible for their salvation. So the tale of Sir Feyaxel was invented. I can assure you that I speak the truth.", spoke the swords woman.

Sarin scratched one his multiple chins."I'm guessing your "secret" organization, which may or may not be the Emerald Arbiters told you this.", the half elf asked.

"Perhaps.",replied Nymk.

"Hnmmm...well even if all that is true. He killed some big fiendish gnoll , so what? Big Friggin deal. I've killed a fiendish giant once...I don't see people fawning over me. ", yawned the unimpressed half elf.

Nymk looked at him in surprise and again shook her head. "You don't understand . Yeenoghu isn't some "Big fiendish gnoll". He's a full fledge Demon Prince. He even has his own layer on the abyss. Yeenoghu once challenged another demon prince , whose name I shall not speak, but shall here after refer to as "Borcus", and captured his chief servant. The ghoul lord Doresain. His feared triple headed mace is an artifact said to bring death, madness , and destruction . I guess you can call him a first tier demon, slightly beneath the power of Demogorgon, the one named "Borcus", Dagon, and Pazrael. ", the barbarian woman said in awe.

"Well...so he's a big shot demon. From what I can understand, Sir Hildraxel fought him in Amarath, basically a big anti magic zone. He also had the aid of the vorpal sword, Galatea the Demon Scourge. Even with those advantages , Great Grandfather barely defeated him, and he even died in the process. I'm sure one of the Champions of the north or a half decent royal adventurer could do the same. ", considered the half elf.

"You know that three champions tried, and were barely able to defeat Yeenoghu's guards. From my understanding, two were incapacitated and one was even slain. The sword Galatea even broke during the battle, but some how your great grandfather endured it all, and managed to trap the demon...with his sheer strength of will. That in itself is impressive. What's more impressive is that Sir Hildraxel had accomplished this when he had just recovered from a long torpor...and here's the real kicker...he did this 70 years past his prime. He was pushing 100 at least, and from the reports..he hadn't age that well. I shudder to think of what your great grandfather was like in his prime. A truly terrifying prospect indeed.", said the swords woman with a hint of fear. Even though it was late spring, a phantom chill seemed to run down her spine and she subconsciously huddled close to the paladin.

Sarin smiled at the pretty Nymk , his grandfather's reputation seemed to be useful after all. He wasn't sure if the tales of his ancestor were true or not but they certainly terrified the battle hardened swords woman who was now huddled at his side. The half elf paladin paused and wondered if what she said was actually true. If even half her awe was justified then his great grandfather was a terrifying man indeed. He wondered what could have possibly posed a threat to Sir Hildraxel when he was in the prime of his life. What type of monster or obstacle could prove to be a challenge to such a man?

* * *

><p>Sometime in the past.<p>

"What's the hold up !", demanded Sir Hildraxel over the roaring wind. The black knight and his trusty steed Pixietrampler had been slowly scaling a mountain to hopefully catch their foes by surprise. Sir Hildraxel had sent his trusty sidekick Willaim Ponsoby the halfling dragoon and the dragonman construct Adara to scout the path, but was disappointed to find that their progress had been stymied.

"Its bad ...real bad...", William shouted back. To accent his point, he pointed to a narrow chasm, with a frozen log connecting it. On the other side Hildraxel could see the small construct Adara waving enthusiastically at him.

"Eh...I don't get it? There's a chasm, but there's a log over it. I see Adara on the other side...what's the problem?", asked the puzzled knight.

"It's not that easy. The log..its icy. Its um really slippery. Adara can cross it ...well because she's Adara . The rest of us wont be so lucky.", explained the halfling dragoon.

Hildraxel scratched his head, " Throw a rope across ?"

William shook his head," Already tried that, there's nothing to attach to on the other side."

"Drive spikes in the log?"

"Log is too hard...even halfling silver can't pierce it."

"Fly over the log with a spell or have Pixietrampler jump over it?"

"Winds are too fierce."

"Bardic Dimension door?"

"Innate magical disruption here is too strong."

"Crawl on our bellies on the log?"

"Too slippery, we'll just slide off."

"Use magic to shape the ice ..or better yet use warp wood on the log. To create foot and hand holds?"

"Sorry...Magic log."

Sir Hildraxel stared at the halfling in frustration, he hoped his sidekick was joking but his grim visage told him that this obstacle was very serious indeed. They were amongst the most powerful villains in the world, but they were stopped dead in their tracks...by a log.

"An ice covered log. This is an outrage. A mere log is not going to impede Sir Hildraxel ! Stand back losers , let me show you how a real adventurer handles this.", said the bold Knight as he pushed his companion aside.

Sir Hildraxel dismounted and then took a couple of tentative steps , but seemed to maintain his balance on the icy bridge. He turned to the halfling and gave him a thumbs up...before a gust of wind blew the knight into the chasm.

"L - A - M - E !", shouted the knight as he fell to his doom.


	17. Chapter 17

"Owwww !", grunted Zax in pain from the heavy sword swing. The blade tried to smash his ribs from an oblique angle, but luckily his recent sword training allowed him to block in time. Despite the block, the mass of his opponent's weapon carried through and rattled the tieflings bones . As quick as Zax was, his opponent was quicker. His foe's control of the blade was superb as the weapon reversed its momentum from the swing and struck again , catching the off balanced hero with a strike to the arm.

"Point.", shouted Darwen. The two duelists stopped and walked back to their respective corners. Zax's opponent seemed to almost dance and skip to the opposing corner , despite wielding a heavy broad sword and shield, while wearing full plate armor. Zax on the other hand limped back to his, while wielding a light rapier and wearing a simple chain shirt.

"What have you've been learning the last few days? She's humiliating you out there. You're suppose to be the fast one, but she's dancing circles around you. ", stated the beautiful Darwen harshly.

Zax knew he was losing badly, but his habitual dishonesty shone even while in a duel. "Look , I can't fight a girl. Of course I'm holding back. I'm a chivalrous hero, that means I don't beat up women.", explained the tiefling with labored breath.

The grey haired elf looked at Zax in surprise and for a second the tiefling thought she bought his story. A swift swat to the back of the head dispelled that illusion. "Listen. We're not playing here. That hero drivel you spew won't work on me remember? Did she strike you in the head one too many times? Don't you recall you basically admitted to me you're a fraud. Now no more excuses and get out there. You have the reach advantage so remember to strike from a distance to wear her down . Wait for her to commit to her attack then counter strike. Circle her from the shield side to frustrate her. You can't match her blow for blow,she's wearing heavy armor you aren't ,so you have to use your speed to your advantage. ", the stern elven bladesinger commanded .

Zax nodded and tried to regain his breath before the next round. His reputation, maybe his life was on the line if he didn't start putting up a better fight.

"Hey! Are you ready yet? I can't do this all day you know? I have to cook dinner!", shouted his opponent from her corner.

Zax was angry now. He would show her to not take him lightly. The tiefling was still tired, but if there's one thing he was good at , it was to pretend to be in complete control of the situation. He stood up and proudly strutted to the middle of the make shift ring . He squared his feet and readied his rapier with one hand, the other hand waved his opponent contemptuously towards him.

"Come...my blade awaits. ", sneered Zax.

Darwen rolled her eyes at his student's display. She wanted to turn away, this would be painful to watch.

Zax's opponent stood up and stretched her arms a bit before the big knight at her side handed her a shield and sword. She giggled at his assistance before wading into the battle warily. Zax saw his show of bravado had taken the sass out of his opponent. Before she got with in range, Zax began circling to her left, to keep out of reach of her blade.

"That's it. Don't give her a clear strike. ", cheered Darwen at Zax's plan of attack.

Zax lashed with his rapier a few times but his opponent easily blocked it with her shield. The tiefling expected this and was careful not to press his attack , this was all to frustrate her and trap her into over committing to a strike. The tieflings confidence grew stronger as his opponent began to weaken and tire from his long range strikes. Her short swings weren't close to connecting and the weight of her gear seemed to finally wear her down.

Zax jabbed again and was surprised that his enemy didn't bring her shield to bear in time. His rapier struck her armor solidly . She didn't grunt in pain , but the tiefling knew the attack was solid. Despite not giving an audible response, his duelist insight saw her legs buckle from the strike. The tiefling saw his opportunity and rushed his stunned opponent. It would be a simple matter to get with in her range and finish her off . He darted in like a fox , eager to raid the hen house.

"OWWWWW!", cried Zax as his opponent's bait was taken. Hook, line and sinker. As Zax pressed his advantage, his foe suddenly recovered and met him fiercely head on. Her heavy shield smashed in the tiefling's face while she mercifully struck his arm with her blade's pommel. The two blows not only caused Zax to fall on his back but to drop his weapon as well.

"Errrr ooops. ", apologized Sharliss as she took of her heavy plate helmet. "I didn't mean to hit him that hard. I know I'm suppose to just spar with him, but I didn't think he would fall for that feint. I learned that from Uncle Frank...I had no idea it would actually work. ", explained the priestess.

"Looossserr! ", laughed and pointed a short white hair girl with pale skin in the priestess's corner.

Darwen shook her head. She knew that most knights used a sword and board style for duels, the elf just wanted someone that employed that style to spar with Zax for practice. Although Halvor was a knight of some sort,he employed the great axe. The elf was surprised that his range of weapon expertise was very limited unlike his northern cousins. Kirgi could fight effectively with a sword and shield, but the elf wanted someone quicker and more importantly taller to mimic the opponent Zax would fight. She was surprised that Halvor suggested the young tiefling priestess as a candidate.

Darwen at first took his suggestion with a healthy dose of doubt. Unlike other clerics, clergy of Koryis were given no training in weapons and armor, however the young girl claimed to have been trained by a Sir Dietrch as well as some other warriors in her youth . The elf noted that this Dietrch trained her well, as she handled herself admirably in both the mobility of her armor and her skill in the blade. She was a good student and learned very fast it seemed. Darwen wished that her own disciple had half her dedication and aptitude.

The elf noticed Sharliss examining the stunned Zax and intoned a simple healing prayer on the tiefling. Zax seemed to cringe from her close proximity but managed to remain calm enough for her magic to take effect. When his healing was done , he scrambled away from her as if she had the plague or something. The elf thought the normally suave and manipulative tiefling would have appreciated the attentions of a pretty young priestess some more.

"That's enough for now.", sighed Darwen . "Thank you lady Sharliss for your time. I hope Zax can learn from this sparring session in his upcoming duel. I will let you return to your cooking duties. "

"Its alright. I wasn't doing anything anyways.", the young girl said with a smile as she finished stripping her armor. Darwen noticed right away that she wasn't smiling at her, but to the big knight Halvor. The elf thought the two seemed to be locked briefly in some adolescent staring contest before breaking off and retreating to other duties . Halvor returning to calm the impatient and agitated merchants, while Sharliss took the small pale girl back to her wagon.

"Why'd you let her smack you around like that Zax? ", asked Kirgi confused.

"I think he had no choice in the matter .". snorted the ebony skin Adria.

The dwarf ignored the eidolon and gazed at the battered from of his hero. The wounds he sustained had healed from the magic , but traces of dry blood and bruises still remained on him.

"I make love to women...I don't strike them.",sniffed Zax knowingly. The answer seemed sufficient for Kirgi who nodded in agreement. His faith in his hero restored.

"If that's the case , why go to all this effort to spar with her then? If you do not intend to strike a woman, it seems frivolous even for you to do full contact sparring right before a possible life or death duel.", asked Adria obviously unconvinced with the tiefling's answer.

Zax was momentarily caught off guard by the eidolon's questions but he quickly recovered and provided her an answer. " I apologize for my sometimes fanciful actions. We will be parting ways soon and I wanted the charming young Sharliss something to remember me by. Imagine her delight when she tells her friends at the university that she sparred with the master duelist Zax and won. You are correct that sparring with no intention of winning is frivolous even for someone like me, but as a champion of over a hundred duels, I look for ways to challenge myself before each fight. Sometimes I choose not to draw my blade for 5 seconds, sometimes I fight blind folded , other times I've fought with one arm bound behind my back. Today , I chose not to strike my foe. It may seem suicidal, but heroes like myself need to do things like this to keep life ...interesting." , explained the tiefling.

Kirgi nodded his head in agreement and gave Zax the thumbs up, while Adria returned her normal cold stare. The pair returned back to the main caravan to let Zax instruct his "student" in peace.

Darwen rolled her eyes at Zax's speech. She couldn't believe it. It was like he was ignoring all states of reality. The elf had heard in passing of these Northern Arbiters, they were a small group that came from the knight holds recently. They were highly skilled and from the rumors very brutal in their methods. Supposedly they challenged the gaggle of knights and wannabe knights who made outrageous claims to unearned ranks and titles in Grom. As a bladesinger Darwen had witnessed one of their duels while stationed in Fortress Grom. It was to the death, and left the arbiter's victim slain brutally and quickly. Zax was just beaten by a priestess who received little training and he was still bragging about the up coming duel like the evenings poker game or something. There was a very real chance the tiefling was going to die and he was talking about handicapping himself. It was infuriating to see him act this way.

As the dwarf and eidolon left earshot, Zax turned to his Darwen. "You gotta get me outta here. I don't want to die. ", he whispered as all color drained from his normally vibrant orange face.

"Won't your fans be disappointed?", replied Darwen in mock surprise. She knew the tiefling was prone to fits of mad boasting , but she was still in awe at how he could change his personality so quickly. Was Zax bi polar or borderline delusional?

"I mean it. I thought sparring with Sharliss might get me some confidence. I didn't think she would smack me around like that. Look, we both know I have no chance against this arbiter guy. I would have got on my knees and begged for my life to Maiale if I thought it had any chance of succeeding. The big fat porker really has a hate on for me though. I was pretty sure that wouldn't have worked. ", said the hysterical tiefling.

"I won't last 10 seconds against a real knight. I've seen enough of those guys in Lower Lueders and in the army to know they are bad news. Those guys fought a demon army and won, I... I...beat up an old woman ...barely. ", babbled Zax.

This rare moment of honesty touched Darwen. Zax was a broken man , and it would be the perfect time to start rebuilding him. That is if he survived the upcoming duel. She knew the city guards were watching the caravan , and especially the tiefling . Although everyone else was allowed to roam the markets they made sure Zax was not to leave. There would be no simple escape for him.

"Look ...you just have to put up a good showing. Make the man respect you. If he sees you are worthy he won't kill you... oh wait never mind.", conceded the elf.

* * *

><p>Sir Ivanovic the Silver Arbiter meditated at his friends grave. It was a simple tombstone , not really worthy for a hero who had accomplished so many legendary deeds.<p>

"So its come to this eh Vasa? If you were in such dire straights, you could have came to me.", Ivanovic said to the tombstone. There was obviously no answer, but the knight could well imagine his friend's explanation.

The Order of the Husky never had many members, but the few that rode under their banner were amongst the proudest and most heroic men and women of the north. It came to no one's surprise that they were amongst the vanguard of the Silver Champion's retinue when the Great Host met the Great Horde. The casualties were great that day, but they managed the unimaginable , they broke the massive gnoll army and even slew their god . It was the stuff of song and myths...however the cost was too high . All of the Husky were slain, except Sir Vasa. The former Knight Commander of the Husky was given the role of interim champion and the daunting task of rebuilding his order.

Ivanovic wondered what he would have done in that situation. Would he have asked for help like he suggested? Would he be too proud ? Other Orders also suffered massive causalities that day, was Vasa ashamed to ask them for charity? Whatever his reasoning, Sir Vasa journeyed to the southern lands and began his recruiting drive there. From the reports Ivanovic received, his friend took to drink in his despair and began recruiting questionable candidates. For 5 gold he would make a person a squire of the Husky, for 25 a knight...and apparently for 20 gold and a bottle of fine wine, he even gave a tiefling his old rank of Knight Commander of the Order. It had taken Ivanovic most of the spring to root out these questionable knights. Almost all of them proved unworthy of the titles of the Husky. The knight shook his head, if it was anyone else he would be infuriated, but he had no fury or anger for his deceased friend. Besides a few unusual knights that passed his test, all that remained of the Husky was the ancestral sword, armor and banner of the Order.

Ivanovic had heard of Vasa's death a few months ago, but errands and duels in Northern Grom delayed his journey to Grom City. He regretted taking so long to pay his respects but he knew his old friend would understand. There were rumors that foul play was involved, but his friend was long buried and he had no stomach to have him exhumed. He would ask a few questions but doubt they would lead to any suspects. He had his suspicions but without any proof he would not act on them.

All he could do was pay his final respects to a great hero and a even greater friend.

The knight stopped as he heard footsteps behind him. He hoped it was Vasa's phantom attackers come here to attempt to slay him. Ivanovic would massacre them and unveil their plot, but the knight knew that was just fanciful dreaming. The soft southern lands had apparently gotten to him.

"Sir...Ivanovic?", asked a deep but timid voice behind the knight. Ivanovic sighed, who ever it was it wasn't assassins to finish him off.

The fearsome knight rose to his full height and turned to find a mere guardsman confronting him. From the look of the man he was a corporal of some sort. "I am Sir Ivanovic. What do you want?", he said gruffly.

"Captain Maiale has requested the services of the ...Silver Arbiter ...at the north gate.", stammered the man.

Ivanovic scowled. He hated his "secret" organization. After the mysterious time mists had lifted from the north, Grand Champion Erland of the Emerald Squirrel knew that the knights had to integrate back into the world. He asked each of the other major orders to appoint an arbiter to handle their affairs in the other world's nations. Although the majority of the time they handled false knight hood claims, they were also responsible for diplomacy and depending on the individual some espionage and clandestine affairs. It was a good idea, and unlike the Champions , the arbiters mostly worked well with each other. They were suppose to be a secretive group, known only to the rulers of the nations they visited, but stealth and subtlety were not any of their strong suits. Sir Ivanovic suspected half of Grom knew what an Arbiter was by now.

"What does he want?", demanded the knight.

The corporal stood nervously before the massive knight. He felt like a man who had to walk past a bear's cave. "There's an ..individual ...he claims he's the Knight Commander of the Husky. He's apparently claiming the entire caravan he's traveling with as his retinue...for tax rebate purposes it seems . Sir Maiale thought you should be notified right away. The entire caravan is being held at the northern gates, we won't let them leave till you ...deal with them.", answered the corporal with a carefully prepared speech.

Ivanovic saw red. His dead friend's once proud order was now used simply as a device to save a few gold in this miserable country of merchants and thieves . This was an outrage! He would slay this pretender and punish all those who sought to use the Husky's reputation for personal gain. He looked at Vasa's grave and promised that his vanquished order's honor would be upheld.

* * *

><p>"By Linel...this is maddening! First we had to line up through that gate. Then our entire caravan is impounded. Next we have to wait for some stupid duel , now that bone head Zax is getting Hush to spar with him. Who's gonna cook my dinner! ",exclaimed Sarin as he sat on guard on the wagon.<p>

"There's a tavern nearby. If you're that hungry we could go there. ", responded Nymk who sat closely next to him. Although the caravan was impounded the occupants were free to wander or even explore the city if they wanted. The Grommers were all to happy to seize their goods and belongings if they didn't return to have their claims properly processed.

Sarin shook his head, "I would, but for some reason I got this feeling that we should be here for this "duel". I hate to judge people by using my special vision, but that Captain is Evil with a capital E, something's gonna go down . We should stay here till at least the duel's over.", said the half elf grimly.

"I have some hard bread, and some dry meat. ", said Nymk as she pulled some dry provisions from her pack.

Sarin looked at her and then the food. If it was anyone else he would have grabbed the provisions and wolfed them down, but for some reason he found he couldn't take food from the barbarian woman . Was Shar correct ...did he treat the swords woman different somehow?

Nymk saw the half elf's eyes narrow on the food . They looked akin to a dragon slowly circling its prey. The barbarian thought he would snatch it right away but he just gave her a ravenous look.

Nymk carefully placed the food between them, and in a flash the half elf grabbed the small bundle and stuffed it into his mouth, wrappings and all. The swords woman half expected her hand to be snatched and devoured as well.

"nom nom", said the much relived Sarin through a food filled mouth.

Nymk watched the large half elf eat. "You know , I understand you think its your duty to watch to keep an eye out for ...E .. V ...eeel.", she said with an exaggerated voice. " But you guys have that protection document, the guards can't stop you when you have that. I can scale a building and keep an eye on things while you guys handle your affairs."

Sarin shook his head, "Shar would kill me if I did that. Since we'll most likely go our separate ways after this...she was planning a small going away party. No way she's going to leave now. ", shrugged the half elf.

Nymk was taken back at Sarin's explanation of Sharliss's plans. She was touched at the unusual pair's generosity. Were the pair lonely, insane, or just genuinely sincere and decent? Before she could answer , a knock came unexpectedly on their wagon.

Both Sarin and Nymk were shocked that someone had managed to evade their guard and snuck up to their wagon under their "watchful eyes". They both looked at each other and wondered if the others presence was responsible for the distraction.

"Hello? ", said a light raspy voice. Although it sounded like light gravel there was still an odd musical quality to it.

Sarin looked and spied a thin well dressed elf in a cloak on his side of the wagon. The half elf's eyes noticed that the man had long thin blond hair, and was dressed extravagantly in purple and black cloths and silks. The thing that caught Sarin's attention however was a gleaming dueling rapier at the elf's side. Even from his angle he could tell it was a finely crafted mostly likely a magical weapon of the highest quality.

"What do you want ?",challenged the half elf shaking his gaze from the weapon.

"Oh great.. Zug folk...such a rude people. ", said the elf.

"Zug folk?", said Sarin indignantly. It was a term Sarin had never heard before, but he quickly deduced its meaning. When he thought about it, the half elf liked the term, but he did not like the way the elf said it. His tone suggested it was a slur of some sort.

The elf ignored Sarin's response and continued as if he wasn't there. "You have the pleasure and responsibility in addressing Ricardo Belcadiz . Royal adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion..."

"Prince in exile, Scorpion of Grom, Grandson of Carnelia de Fedoriad also known widely as Lord Quick . ", continued Nymk with a smile as she poked her head from the other side of the wagon.

"Lord Quick " appeared briefly shocked then disappointed at the swords woman's appearance, but his composure quickly recovered. He gave a deep and exaggerated bow to Nymk who returned an equally flattered curtsy from the other side of the wagon.

"Ahh ...the Lovely Lady Khongorzul , The Emerald Arbiter. I must admit I am pleasantly shocked at your appearance. ", said the elf with the whispery voice now plainly ignoring Sarin. " However I must warn you that there are somethings that even Grom won't tolerate. Even from attractive representatives from its powerful northern neighbor."

Sarin sniffed at the exchange. Nymk nudged him, and he reluctantly exchanged spots with her on the wagon. Despite his bulk he managed to slide to the side without much trouble.

"What ever do you mean?", asked the swords woman as she continued the conversation after she had re adjusted her position.

Lord Quick paused as he saw that the swords woman was dressed in the attire more befitting a maid , but to his credit he didn't let her dress startle him. " I heard there was going to be a duel and as you know I love being both a spectator and participant in such affairs. ... However as I talked to the guard I was surprised to find that a certain scroll had pass through here. A scroll possibly bearing the seal of Lord Eggbert had arrived in the city. As you know, long has it been my wish to duel him to see who is the most deadly royal adventurer of them all. We all know he's been missing from Grom for quite sometime now, but none of us would dare think he had died. I've heard rumors from Northern Grom that he had returned, but this was the first solid proof I had of his return in decades. Naturally I came seeking this scroll to examine it for myself . When I arrived, I used my instincts and approached the fanciest wagon around. Alas, it appears my hopes were falsely pinned. Your presence here explains much I suppose.", said the elf clearly disappointed.

"Hello...Can I help you?", asked Sharliss suddenly from the darkness. The young priestess was properly dressed again after her sparring session with Zax, and the small giant beside her carried her dueling armor and gear. Despite her "cleaned" up appearance, she still looked a bit disheveled .

Lord Quick gave another bow. The elf's instincts knew she was a noble of some sort despite her rough appearance. He smoothly took her hand and kissed it . "Sir Ricardo Belcadiz, Royal Adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion, Prince in exile, Scorpion of Grom, Grandson of Carnelia de Fedoriad also known widely as Lord Quick at your service. ", he said graciously to the flattered young girl.

"Oh my...Sharliss of Lower Lueders.", said the red faced girl to the flamboyant nobleman.

"Ah Sharliss , a lovely name for a lovely woman.", said the elf. Sarin's eyes rolled, and he wondered if anyone would miss the elf if he impaled him with his spear right now. It would be easy to hide his body, just chop it up and feed it to Freiki, no one would be the wiser he thought with a chuckle.

Lord Quick swiveled once again to face Nymk. " Forgive me for the slight lapse of manners, but as you can see , seldom am I interrupted by such a finely bred beauty. As I was saying, there are some things even an Arbiter like yourself should not use as deception.", said the elf elegantly.

Nymk smiled and shook her head.

"Wait...the scroll..its real?",asked a truly shocked elf. "Meraviglioso! Perfetto ! Questo è grande ! ", exclaimed Lord Quick.

"What the hell was that? It certainly wasn't elvish. ", whispered Sarin to Nymk.

"Its a dialect of elvish from Glantri I believe. ", responded the swords woman.

"Please instruct your Zug Folk servant to be silent when I am engaged in conversation. Else I deal with him myself. ", whispered Lord Quick at the interruption. Although he looked foppish , there was an undeniable hint of menace in his voice.

Sarin grew red, but Sharliss calmed him with a wave of her hand. He considered jumping off the wagon and belly flopping on the scrawny elf but instead shrugged, "I'll let you guys play "Let's stick our noses up each other asses." I'm going to feed Freiki or something. Tell me if the duel is gonna start. ", he said as he retreated into the wagon. Sharliss bowed to the elf, and quickly followed Sarin to comfort him.

"What an ogre. The air freshens already without his presence. The young girl is fetching though, a bit on the common side though even if she is a noblewoman. ", snorted the elf. His expression quickly turned from disdain to joy as he turned his attention to Nymk. "Now the scroll...tell me of this scroll! I must see it !"

Nymk shrugged and smiled, "I don't have it. It does not belong to me. "

"Ahh...evasive as you are deadly. If you don't have it, who does? Oh wait...don't tell me...", frowned the elf in despair.

* * *

><p>Captain Maiale sat on his too small of a chair. The normally sturdy wooden piece of furniture groaned each time the half elf shifted. The Captain waved to a guard who promptly ran inside the watch tower and returned with a platter of finger foods. Lemming sausages, radish cakes, worm round, and shrieker slices. A true feast.<p>

The Captain promptly stuffed his face , then paused. Something was wrong. "Hey, where's the spicy seed paste? How do you expect me to eat this without the spicy paste! It's inedible! ", he roared as he continued to devour the last of the morsels. When the platter was empty, he threw the dish at the guard. "Barbarians! ", he exclaimed.

As the guardsman cringed at his raging officer. A large black horse rode angrily to the northern Gate house. It stopped in front of the captain and reared upwards. Maiale thought it must have smelled his lycanthropic heritage and tried to run in the tower. Unfortunately the small chair was stuck to his blubbery buttocks and it was stuck to his behind. As the captain struggled with his hindrance, the horse quickly settled down, and a large armored knight hopped off his mount. The Silver Arbiter had finally arrived.

Sir Ivanovic looked at the foolish looking captain with the chair attached to his ass and slowly shook his head. "Only in Grom...only in Grom. ", he said under his breath. He saluted the embarrassed Captain and got straight to business. "Where is this pretender. Let's get this over with.", he said with a commanding voice.

"Oh ...he's with the caravan. He's a mouthy little bugger. A little runt he is. All day he's been yapping about handicapping himself for the duel. ", said Maiale with the chair still attached. A guardsman snuck behind the fat officer and tried to pull the disobedient furniture off, but with no success.

"Excellent. No reason for me to hold back then. ", said Ivanovic. Although he normally prepared to fight to the death, if his opponent was remorseful and quickly repented he settled for a simple thrashing. He was 35-1 in serious duels, and was fairly confident it would be 36-1 from the brief description the Captain gave him.

"Oh I recommend a fight to the death for this one. Not only is he a big old faker, but he's using his rank as a tax claim of all things. Unforgivable! Not only that, but he's one of those weaselly tieflings. Imagine a tiefling pretending to be knight commander. What a joke ! Who's gonna believe that.", laughed the corpulent half elf as he followed the knight to the caravan. Another guardsman had joined the first , and both attempted to pull the chair off but to no avail.

Ivanovic the Silver Arbiter stopped. Tiefling? Thoughts raced in his head. "No ...it can't be. There's no way he could get here..the pass is closed and I would have saw him on the boat. The only other way was through the mountains and it would take a small army to break through the demon infested pass. ", the knight assured himself.

The knight arrived to the caravan, with the captain and the two guardsmen in tow. The captain waved the pair off, as he nonchalantly resumed his sitting position with his chair conveniently at the ready. A crowd of guards, merchants, and various noblemen were gathered awaiting for Ivanovic's arrival. Maiale had announced there was to be a duel earlier, and people from all around came ( and paid ) to witness it.

"WHO CLAIMS TO BE THE CHAMPION OF THE HUSKY! BY THE DECREE OF THE SILVER CHAMPION, I SIR IVANOVIC ,THE SILVER ARBITER, CHALLENGE THIS PRETENDER . IF HE IS WORTHY OF THIS TITLE THEN HIS STRENGTH AND COURAGE SHALL REVEAL ITSELF. IF HE PROVES LACKING THEN HIS BROKEN SHATTERED BODY SHALL BE A WARNING TO ALL THOSE WHO USE THAT TITLE IN VAIN.", roared the knight.

"Go Zax , show that guy who's boss! "

"Fight him with your arm tied behind your back to make it fair!"

"Blind fold! Blind fold! Blind fold! "

"Zax is our man! He beat a giant, some trolls, and even a fortress of bandits, what's some knight compared to that!"

"The crowd seemed firmly behind my opponent." Ivanovic thought to himself." Wait a second , did someone say Zax? "

The crowd parted as a young orange boy strode pompously forward. There was a lot of fist pumping and hand slapping as he made his way through the crowd. It appeared his opponent was making his way through a Grommish Coliseum crowd rather then a duel to the death.

The orange boy turned and faced his admirers, not a hint of fear in his voice. "My friends, regardless of the outcome of this match. It's been an honor to fight at your side through the mountain pass. Win or lose, you will always be considered my comrades.", said the tiefling bravely.

"That Zax...Such a humble hero, what a great guy! ", cried a spikey haired dwarf.

Ivanovic blinked his eyes. It couldn't be. This was the boy that he challenged a few weeks ago in Lower Lueders. Lady Nymk had suggested the battle to him then, and he agreed. He recalled being defeated soundly by the boy in a blink of the eye. The knight didn't recall him sailing with him, but from the reaction of the crowd it seemed he had battled his way through the demon filled pass between Lower Lueders and Grom City. Surely a deed worthy of the Husky. This wasn't a caravan this was a small army. Using the Husky's name for his personal retinue was not only allowed but encouraged.

"What are you waiting for...go beat the hell out of him!", chided Maiale. His financial backers had arrived to witness how the Captain handled business. It would show his backers the reason why they paid him so well for his services. After Ivanovic dispatched the tiefling, the caravan's assets would be seized indefinitely , and their mutually beneficial monopoly would continue. Things were looking up for Maiale, the half elf considered rewarding himself with a pie or three after the duel. Maybe one of those super hot ones filled with the famous delicacy , crab sausage.

* * *

><p>Zax's courage suddenly fled as he faced the strangely familiar but menacing knight. He had hoped to put a brave face before he was killed. He knew there was no escape and he would most likely die from this duel . He tried to turn and run , but found his feet paralyzed with fright. He suddenly remembered he still carried Dragon's Flame and a spark of hope grew within him. Sadly the blade was unresponsive as he failed once again to draw it. He turned to his left and saw the merchants who he had escorted all pulling for him. Halvor , Petrus ,and Kirgi were also there , wildly cheering him on. Even the normally suspicious Adria appeared to be clapping for him. To his right he saw Sharliss cheering in his favor. The frightening girl didn't appear so scary to Zax right now. Had he done her a disservice for being afraid of her all this time? Did it take his eminent death to make him see that. Next to her was the small giant and Chins. Both were cramming their face with some type of food. Chins however gave him a salute and a big thumbs up. It was an oddly comforting sign of faith from the not so large looking half elf . (After meeting Maiale all half elves didn't appear that big to Zax from that point on.) Nymph and a strange noble looking elf were also present, the maid briefly smiled at Zax but appeared more focused on his opponent . For some reason there was no sign of Darwen. Zax knew she was in the crowd somewhere, and wanted to see her alluring visage a final time. The tiefling knew he had no chance . However amidst the cheers he felt the hopes, support, and energy from his supporters and his feet finally broke free from his fear. He decided if he was going to go down, he was going to leave his friends, admirers and most importantly Darwen with a final image of his fake heroism. Instead of running , Zax squared himself to his opponent and readied himself in a duelist stance. He thought himself quite dashing at the moment, almost heroic looking as he faced his inevitable death.<p>

"Come...my blade awaits. ", sneered Zax with practiced poise.

"YOU SIR ...ARE NOT WHO YOU CLAIM. I'VE WORKED WITH THE KNIGHT COMMANDER , I'VE FOUGHT WITH THE KNIGHT COMMANDER, AND YOU SIR ARE NOT THE KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE HUSKY ! ", roared Ivanovic, quickly silencing the crowd.

The grizzled knight step forward, and Zax considered skewering him as he approached. However his earlier sparring session taught him that he could not win in such an exchange. He would wait for him to attack, then dodge and counter attack ...that was his only chance. He would at least show Darwen he wasn't a complete idiot and had learned something from her teachings.

Before Zax could react, Ivanovic suddenly dropped to one knee, and presented a bag to the tiefling.

"SIR VASA , A MORE NOBLE KNIGHT THERE NEVER WAS, WAS SLAIN RECENTLY. THEREFORE THIS IS NOT THE KNIGHT COMMANDER OF THE HUSKY, BUT THE CHAMPION OF THE HUSKY!", roared the big knight. "ALL HAIL CHAMPION ZAX! "

Everyone but Nymk seemed surprised at this turn of events. The person most surprised was not Zax though, it was Maiale the captain of the guard.

"What! I waited all day for this! All those lame stories about ice covered logs for this? This..this is outrageous !", sputtered the gigantic half elf. He roared and flexed, and suddenly his corpulent form grew even more fat and grotesque. The chair on his ass shattered from his metamorphosis. Fur and hide sprouted from him, as he transformed into a monstrous boar. Thunder echoed around the north gate as the monster stamped its feet . A vile wind engulfed the caravan as it snorted a challenge. A great roar erupted from the beast as it charged Zax. Most of the crowd screamed and dispersed as the boar closed in ready to gore and trample the tiefling.

Before the beast reached the once again paralyzed with fear Zax, Sir Ivan quickly sidestepped the beast's charge. He bashed its head with his shield, rolling is massive neck slightly to the side with his powerful blow. The slight angle was all he needed as he plunged his reforged blue blade into the creatures neck, with perfect precision. The boar squealed and lost all control of his body. It's massive momentum carried it forward as it slid towards the crowd. As the beast's corpse appeared to be on the verge of squashing members of the crowd, Sarin stepped in front of the beast and his bulk met the creature's mass. The ground shook as the two collided, the paladin actually being forced backwards a few feet before the boar's corpse came to a halt.

"Only a half elf can stop a half elf...", huffed Sarin solemnly.

"Forgive me champion. That was your kill, but with the exception of the Champions of the Boar and Narwhal , I despise lycanthropes . ", said Ivan as he wiped his blade and turned to face Zax. To his surprise, the newly crowned champion had vanished.

The crowd murmured as they tried to comprehend what they saw.

"Look! ", someone cried as they pointed to the city wall. On the wall was a message written in big red letters obscured by the night.

Besides Zax, Kirgi had the best dark vision in their group . He looked at the words and seemed puzzled, "This makes no sense...It says Freedom ... Anarchy ... Rebellion ...Tieflings..."


	18. Chapter 18

"Freedom ..Anarchy..Rebellion ...Tieflings? What the hell does that mean ?", asked Sarin.

Lord Quick shrugged, "Its one of those subversive underground groups. You know the one with the stupid slogans " Power to the tiefling people", "We are the 5 %", " Land of the fee, home to the slave", oh..and my personal favorite "The people are too big to Fail.". Although I think the last one would have served your people better, but alas the Zug Folk aren't known to protest."

Sarin stared angrily at the elf , he used that slur again. Although he had to admit it was kind of catchy , it sounded like an insult when Lord Quick said it.

"Lord Ricardo, Lady Nymkakku. ", said Ivan as he wiped the were boar's blood off his blade. The three obviously knew each other from their status as professional duelists. The Silver Arbiter had done a quick search of the area , but there was no sign of the newly appointed Champion of the Husky.

"Lord Ivan. Always a pleasure .", smiled Nymk casually, while Ricardo gave a curt bow.

"I've searched the area, the Champion is nowhere to be seen. However I did find an entrance to the sewers. From the looks of it , its been used recently...most likely as a point of entry and exit by this subversive group of yours.", reported the grizzled knight.

"Is Zax...is he in danger?", asked Sharliss.

Lord Quick shook his head, "He shouldn't be, he is the Champion of the Husky. Also, he is a tiefling after all. From my understanding, this organization was created to change society for the benefit of tieflings. Their methods...they have a lot to be desired though. Everything from riots, "peaceful " commercial disruptions, armed robbery, vandalism, and even arson. They really are more of an unfocused criminal cartel then anything else. We barely tolerate them because they have no real command structure and they are so ...pathetic. ", sighed the elf.

"Hmm...so I assume they heard of Zax's duel, and decided to "rescue" their comrade before he was slain?", asked Nymk.

"A most likely scenario. Frankly I wouldn't worry too much about it. I would simply report it to the guards and let them handle it. This entire affair is rather boring I think. I was hoping to at least see this famous Zax duel, to see the man that defeated the Silver Arbiter in action. ", the elf said much to the chagrin of Ivan.

"Now, now Ivan. There's no shame in being defeated, that's how people learn and move forward. We all lose once in a while, well except myself of course. ", whispered the elf noble in a mocking raspy voice.

"It appears there is nothing for me to do here then. I shall take Ricardo's advice and report this to the guard. I have my doubts the soldiers at the north gate have given a proper account of what has occurred here. ", said the knight before bowing to the elf and the swords woman. "Lord Ricardo, Lady Nymkakku...always a pleasure. May our paths cross again soon. "

"Now on to more important business. You there, Zug folk...I understand that you have in your possession a certain scroll.", inquired the elf haughtily.

Sarin shrugged, he searched his satchel and retrieved a scroll tube, and produced the scroll in question for the elf. He did not particularly care for Lord Quick, but knew he was the local "law" and was simply presenting his papers when challenged for them.

Lord Quick's eyes grew wide. "This..this is authentic.", he said in shock . He brought his elvish nose close to the parchment and took in its scent. "It's recent too. I would guess a six months or less. Where did you get it?", he demanded.

Sarin smiled , although he was required to present it he knew he was under no obligation to answer questions about its origins. "Ahh...top secret...it's too important for someone with your pay scale I'm afraid. ", the half elf said in a mocking matter.

Lord Quick's eyes flashed with anger but the elf remained silent at the paladin. Nymk could sense the elf's killing intent and briefly feared for Sarin's life. The elven duelist's reputation was every bit as deadly as he had alluded to, she was pretty sure one of the Northern Knights top swordsmen could match him in a duel, but she seriously doubted Sarin could.

"He got it from...his grandmother...", teased Sharliss seemingly oblivious to the unsaid challenge in the air.

"Oh ...blab everything why don't you. ", replied the half elf in a joking manner . The threat of an imminent duel seemed to have passed and the paladin's mood seemed to have shifted to a more humorous one.

The change seemed to have infected Lord Quick as well, "His grandmother? Ahh thoughts of my own dear nonna now dance through my head. She gave me this blade you know, forged by the finest sword smiths in the Karamekios, and enchanted by the finest alchemists in Glantri. You must tell me more of your grandmother Sir Sarin. I would be delighted to hear how she obtained the scroll."

Sarin wouldn't have considered such a thing a few moments earlier, but the elf did call him Sarin and seemed respectful and sincere. He didn't really hate the duelist he just found him condescending and annoying. The half elf thought of himself as someone who stopped trouble not someone that caused it so he relented and answered, "Well my grandmother on my father side is Lady Brita of the Lion, the Infamous Mistress of the Lionblade. I'm assuming you heard of her, because I heard of her before our relationship was made clear to me. How she got this scroll , that I'm not sure of. She heard we were going to Grom City, and the next day she gave me this scroll. Said it would keep the ...ahem... I quote " Corrupt, blood sucking royal adventurers, tax collectors, and bureaucrats off our backs." ." answered the half elf.

"Ahh our reputation in other realms seemed slightly tainted by our success. It is only natural to view those that are successful in a dim light. ", waxed the elf. He had resumed his condescending manner but Sarin at least didn't feel it was directed at his grandmother or himself.

"I know where she got it! ", said Sharliss proudly. Sarin smiled, despite her recently aged appearance, she still occasionally acted "her age."

"Please my lady! I must know !", pleaded the elf with his fist at his heart and a slight bow to his head. It would have looked comical if the noble did not seem so serious .

Nymk leaned towards the conversation also curious about the origin of the scroll. If Sir Eggbert, the Lion of Grom had indeed returned , that meant things would shift politically in Grom. She had heard he was lost in the mysterious mists up north, and it made sense he had returned after they had lifted. There were even tales he was at the victory of the Great Host serving with General Olive's contingent of the Third Army. She even suspected she had met the man before, but his actual identity was never made clear to her. The man was shrouded in mystery . Unlike the very visible and recognizable Lord Quick, Lord Eggbert was more like smoke and shadows. A ruthless entity that mercilessly dealt death and woe to Grom's enemies .

"It was the gardener! He wrote it! ", the young priestess said smugly.

"Eh..the gardener?", Sarin and Lord Quick both asked simultaneously.

"Oh you know...the guy tending the garden and serving hors d'oeuvres during your parent's wedding. I think he sometimes works as a scribe as well. One of Auntie Olive's servants I think . ", smiled the girl.

Lord Quick nodded and seemed satisfied with the answer.

Sarin however looked puzzled , he had know clue what she was talking about although he did remember the tasty little treats at his mother's wedding. He tried to remember the server but only drew a blank. "You're going to have to be more specific. ", replied the paladin.

"He was you know tall...no wait short...had a normal build, maybe a little thick, no definitely thin build ...light hair, no wait dark hair. Ahh...you would know him if you saw him. He definitely sticks out of the crowd! ", Sharliss answered ,frustrated at her failing memory of the nondescript man.

* * *

><p>Zax gagged at the stench. He had been in the sewers of Lower Lueders before and was surprised at how much this sewer differed from that of his town. Not that it should have really shocked him, the sewers of Lower Lueders were built by ancient elves and in some areas there were strange trees and plants that filtered through the effluence and waste. The druids told him it was like having a well managed swamp under the city. The sewers of Grom City were definitely not built by elves however. As he passed through them, Zax suspected that the city planners built them piecemeal and through different contractors. Most were built by humans thought he recognized some dwarven construction. Depending on the builder, their efficiency seemed as varied as the designers. Most however did their job poorly and the stench around him reinforced that fact.<p>

"We're almost there brother! ", said a black scaled horned tiefling next to Zax. The creature moved with an obvious limp, but seemed unimpeded with his handicap. Next to him was a more avian version of Lady Nayra , a halfling with oversized sharp teeth and claws , and their leader a creature with red skin, horns and a spaded tail. Zax was surprised that "devilman" even carried a crude pitchfork. He would have thought that with such deformities he would shy away from the obvious infernal resemblance.

Zax recalled that he was ready to have his ass whooped by the strangely familiar Sir Ivanovic. Suddenly the knight fell to his knees and said something about him being the champion of the furry dogs . He presented him a bag of some sort , which Zax hastily took. The tiefling wasn't sure if the duel was postponed but suddenly the ultra fat half elf Captain Maiale turned to a demon pig and started charging, directly at him! Well all of Zax's phony courage fled at that moment and he looked for a place to run. To his surprise and relief "Blackscale", grabbed him and lead him to the safety of the tunnels. He wasn't sure who he was, but he looked earnestly friendly enough, and it was probably infinitely safer in the sewer then outside with the killer giant boar.

He briefly wondered if his friends were safe. Would it have been better if he stayed and fight? The tiefling quickly reassured himself that the boar was after him, and rationalized to himself that he did everyone a favor by "strategically retreating " from the battle. It was the best chance he could give Darwen and the others to escape. Zax sighed at the thought of the elf. He couldn't see her when the duel started, but he honestly hoped she was OK.

The strange group descended deeper into the sewers. Zax's excellent direction senses figured they were heading both towards the city center and also were descending to some deeper level. From the lack of recent cleaning he suspected it was an unused or even some forgotten level. Badgerhalfling had mentioned a short cut of some sort and the others followed his lead.

"Badgerhalfling" stopped and held up a clawed hand. The other tieflings including Zax responded and halted behind their guide. Despite his fearsome appearance "Badgerhalfling" turned towards the group and a look of panic filled his face. "RATS! RUN! ", he shrieked.

Zax's eyes focused and a dozen dog sized rats appeared and were scurrying towards his group as "Badgerhalfing" pushed his way past "Birdgirl" and "Blackscale". "Devilman" took a step forwards and readied his crude pitchfork, although from his trembling hands Zax knew that he was inexperienced in both handling the weapon and combat in general.

Zax knew the last thing he was , was a hero. Sure he loved to play the part, he loved the rewards, and he loved the fact beautiful women he normally had no chance with threw themselves at him, but he was definitely not a hero. However the "monsters" approaching were rats. Sure they were big rats, but they were just rats. Although he knew he was a big phony , Zax had served in the army and there was no way an officer of the Third Army First Quartermaster Corp was going to run from rats. He remembered having to fend off rats of a similar size before when they broke into the store houses, but he had other soldiers with him. This time it looked like it was just Devilman and himself, but at least it was a narrow passage, as long as they remained shoulder to shoulder they wouldn't get past to his rear flank.

"Come...my blade awaits. ", sneered Zax. It was a cheesy line, but the tiefling recalled the "oohs and ahhhs " that came from the crowd the last time he used it. If Zax was anything it was a showman. Even amongst his lowly people in a smelly sewer the thespian in Zax came to surface.

Zax slashed at the first rat, scoring a deep slash that crippled the monster. Another rat bounded past him, and the tiefling was surprised to see Devilman had turned and fled in the last moment. That changed things considerably for the tiefling. If things went bad, he was hoping to be the one that abandoned his partner not the other way around. Zax lunged at another rat and grazed its side with his rapier, but the rats still managed to surround him. Unlike wolves or even hunting cats, the rats did not wait for an advantage to present itself, they simply swarmed the overwhelmed tiefling.

Zax knew he was in trouble, big trouble. A rat bit his shoulder, but thankfully his mail shirt prevented it from penetrating his precious orange skin. One attacked his leg, but the tiefling managed to kick it to the side. The kick was weak, but enough to send the creature scurrying. Zax drew his trusty club with his off hand , and waded into the furry horde with wild abandon. All the lessons of swordsmanship and dueling were forgotten as Zax desperately fought for his life against the repulsive swarm.

A sharp pain gripped Zax's hand, as a particularly big rat bit his gauntlet. The tiefling expected his light gauntlet to turn away the blow, but the rat's sharp teeth easily penetrated his armor. Zax instinctively smashed his arm against the wall, but the rat did not release his grip. Zax panicked and used his special tiefling "power". The heat he generated however did not seem to deter the swarm, and if anything it attracted more rats. The rat gripping his hand released it with a pained shriek, but Zax saw that the other rats did not seem to make contact long enough to burn themselves on his skin. The tiefling wondered if he should turn off his power, it was attracting more rats, but at least the ones that were here were happy enough to dart in and out for a few bites of his orange hide. That at least gave him room to swing his blade.

"KRAKOOOWWW!", was the last thing Zax heard, when an unexpected force erupted at his side and threw him against the wall . In a haze, Zax clutched his side and was relieved that it was only badly bruised, not bleeding or rended as he feared. His jaw also hurt but it was a minor wound at best. As his mind cleared , Zax saw that the explosion had frighten his foes and even sent them literally scurrying away. Zax examined his injured side and a smile crept on his face. It appeared one of his eager attackers bit into his dragon powder bag, normally that would have done nothing but combined with the tieflings almost dangerous heat, the unprotected powder ignited and caused the explosion. Zax wasn't an alchemist but knew he was very fortunate to survive the blast. If the powder was in a more enclosed space, the shrapnel from the blast would have ripped him to pieces, however an exploding bag was more easily survived then say an exploding pot or worse an exploding metal shell.

"You ...you defeated the rats?", asked Birdgirl as she approached carefully. Despite his wound, Zax straightened up and gave a flourish with his sword. Birdgirl was carrying a big slime covered stick. He suspected she ran and retrieved the first make shift weapon she could find and returned when she realized that Zax was not with the group.

Zax coolly blew on his knuckles and acted bored, though the adrenaline that was pumping in his blood was the only thing keeping him from collapsing. "One , thwo, three, fhour, ...fhive , shix only I'm ahfraid. Ohh whait, the ohne with the shredded jhaw there, sheven . Sheven rats died to mhy bhlade, Ih thought ith nhot too mhany." , the tiefling said clearly proud of his victory. Zax rubbed his jaw and was a bit annoyed that the blow had swollen his tongue. He felt no teeth missing though, and knew it was something he could recover from.

"Wow , you must be a great warrior or something! ", exclaimed Birdgirl, who was slowly followed by Badgerhalfling, Blackscale, and even the shaken Devilman.

"Ah hhero? Whell I mhust ahdmit, Ih've bheen challed that bhefore. My name is Zahax bhy thha whay. ", smiled Zax as he stood over his fallen furry foes.

"Three cheers for Zahax! ", they cheered as they mangled his name.

* * *

><p>His rescuers asked Zax many questions, which the orange boy happily obliged by answering.<p>

The formerly silent group easily opened up to him, and Zax was able to discern some previously unanswered questions. Apparently this group was part of a larger loose organization called the Freedom Anarchy Rebellion Tiefling Society. Zax commented that it was a stupid Acronym, but the tieflings before him shrugged , besides Birdgirl they didn't know what that meant. This organization was an underground movement to promote tieflings interests, but from the sounds of it they were doing a very poor job. From their conversation and bickering it appeared they had no leaders, no clear objectives, and obviously no plan. As a military veteran and a successful businessman , Zax despised this sort of chaos. However, the tiefling couldn't hate them though, they were his people and they did save him from the giant boar. Besides Lady Nayra the tax collector, Zax had always gotten along with other tieflings. Despite his success and money, he could easily blend and chatter like he was one of them. This group was no exception.

"So we're heading to a meeting of some sort? ", Zax asked Birdgirl. He drank several healing potions and was pleasantly surprised that one of them actually worked. The wound on his jaw had healed, though he made a mental note to ask for a refund on the obviously defective potions sometime in the future.

"Yes sir Zahax , we were going to go right away, but Abaddine heard they were having a tiefling duel a knight or something. We see that often enough. The humans get some heavily armored and armed knight to beat up some barely trained tiefling. It must make them feel proud to win with such stacked odds. ", said Birdgirl bitterly. "However it seemed it was going to be a fair fight after all . From the looks of you , you could've triumphed over that big bully easily.", she continued with a happy smile on her beak .

Zax smiled, her first description of the duel was much more accurate then her second, though the last thing he was going to do was admit it. " Yes . I was quite ready to slap that big brute around, however the presence of your group intrigued me and I was curious to discover more about you."

"You're from up north aren't you? They say Lord Ari lead a rebellion against the humans. ", Badgerhalfling asked .

Zax nodded grimly. It was partially true, The Darkriver horde raised a combined army of hobgoblins, goblins, dragonmen, giants , and even snakemen to sack McDunnalds a few years ago. Duke Ari the tiefling was an elite mercenary unit they hired , and he employed many local disgruntled tieflings in his ranks. They won many surprising victories before being annihilated by Sir Frank of the Crab. Duke Ari was slain in battle but many tieflings still regarded him as a martyr. There weren't that many survivors from his mercenary legion, most were slain , and the "lucky" ones were enslaved .

"We heard you northern tieflings have it way rougher then we do. Open rebellion , tiefling hunts, even arena fights. ", muttered Blackscale with disgust.

"Well, we did have a rebellion or two. But I haven't heard of any tiefling hunts. The gladiator thing is true though. It is a barbaric practice. All in all though , its not as bad as it sounds. ", replied Zax with seemingly humble and honest. He wondered how much of what he said was his false modest hero persona and how much was heart felt. As one of the more successful tieflings he knew many others were not so lucky, however it wasn't as bad as most people thought. There were avenues to escape their poverty, it was just a very hard path. To their credit though, many of his people had followed that path and Zax thought that within a generation or two rampant tiefling poverty would be a thing of the past. The gladiator thing was a different story. A lot of the prisoners were sold to the Coliseum to fight in his "friend" Hoaglie's games. Zax admitted it was a brutal and violent practice, but he also had season tickets. Zax had made a sizable fortune betting on Insector the tiefling gladiator, because he was one of the "home" team.

"It does my heart proud, to see true tiefling warriors like Sir Zahax here . You should talk to the assembly. It would be inspirational for them to hear you speak. ", Devilman said. Although he ran from the rats, Devilman's composure quickly recovered and he made up some excuse that he was covering his friends retreat. Zax chuckled at how similar he was with the "cowardly" Devilman. He would have done the same thing , except he beat him to it.

"No..no...I'm not a good public speaker.", lied Zax. The idea of a speech appealed to his endless vanity, but he wanted to hear them beg for it before he agreed.

"But..but you have to! They need to hear a hero like yourself speak! ", pleaded Birdgirl.

"Yes yes , we need people like you to look up to! ", Blackscale and Badgerhalfling added.

"Ohh...I guess I can. How can I ignore such passionate pleas .", replied Zax as he cheerfully manipulated this small group.

* * *

><p>The group exited the smelly sewers several hours later. From the look of his surroundings Zax figured they were in some warehouse district in Grom City. It was late night and Zax welcomed the cool fresh air.<p>

There seemed to be a lot of tieflings in the area. They were engaged in all sorts of vices. From simple prostitution, selling dorf root and black lotus , to even card and dice games. Zax hoped to get a few rounds of gaming in. He loved gambling, especially against people that thought Luck was the only deciding factor in games of chance.

The focus of the entire area though, was a large warehouse. It looked more like an illegal fight arena or an impromptu dance hall then a political rally. From the outside Zax knew that it was fairly full . Devilman lead their group to the main door. "Freedom Anarchy Rebellion Tieflings ! ", he shouted proudly to the "security". A green skinned tiefling with a single black horn looked at the group and waved them in. He looked curiously at Zax, but the roguish carriage driver rolled up his sleeves and showed some small barbs to confirm his identity. Satisfied, the Blackhorn tiefling let the group pass.

"Zax! ", shouted a familiar elven voice.

The group stopped and looked around. Zax noticed that their mood turned foul at the mention of his name. Before he could inquire the source of their anger, a pretty grey hair elven girl ran up and hugged the surprised tiefling. It appeared she was about to kiss the tiefling but she hesitated and hugged him instead.

"Darwen! What are you doing here ? I'm glad to see you survived the boar!", asked Zax happily. He was surprised he felt an immense relief lift from him as he knew that Darwen was safe from harm.

"Oh that. I couldn't stand to watch the duel. After the chaos however , I saw that graffiti. I asked around, and found out this group was holding a meeting here. You guys took your time getting here I must admit.", the elf said cheerfully.

"Err...how did you get in I mean. You are obviously not a tiefling. ", inquired Zax. The others in his group chuckled, except Birdgirl who seemed clearly unamused.

"Err I'm not sure ...I told the guards I was looking for my tiefling companion , they laughed but they let me in. Umm...they said I have the "Abyssal fever " or something. " , replied the elf confused.

Zax almost choked in laughter, but quickly recovered his composure before he thoroughly embarrassed his pretty companion. "Abyssal fever" was a myth made up by male tieflings to boost their fragile egos. As the story goes, supposedly humans , half orc and elven women were strangely sexually attracted to tiefling men due to some strange magical disease . Enough so they would abandon their stations and wealth to be with them. It was a nice story, but Zax knew from experience it was absolutely untrue. The only magic thing that attracted women of the fairer races to tieflings, was cold hard cash, and a heroic reputation of course.

As the group made their way deeper into the warehouse. Zax noticed a group of oddly attractive but lewdly attired women from the "normal" races. They were dressed similar to tieflings but their clothing was much more suggestive . Zax wondered if the myth was true, or were these women simply delusional.

"Stupid hos .", muttered Birdgirl unimpressed as they passed the odd group of women.

The next group they passed seemed more like mercenaries or adventurers to Zax. They were in mostly dark and spiky armor and were busy sharpening their weapons which also appeared to have extra spikes on them. Their dress was clearly meant to impress rather then give them a practical advantage on the battlefield. Zax knew this organization was militant but did not think they parade so openly with their arms and armor.

Devilman waved at the group as they passed. Most of the spiky tieflings ignored him, but one did notice him and returned a nod to his direction. That acknowledgement was enough to give Devilman more pride in his step.

The last group they passed , his entourage steered away from. Zax looked and was surprised to see a bunch of tieflings that were oddly all orange , light red or dark yellow. They seemed to be quite a diverse group, but the other tieflings in the area seemed to actively shun them. Zax gasped as he saw a blue tiefling approach the group. The others welcomed him, and then began painting him orange. Was the whole group painted in such a fashion thought Zax.

"Don't mind them Zahax. Those guys are scum. I wish Rawk would take all of those Uncle Zax's and grind him under his boot. ", said Devilman.

"Uncle Zax?", asked Darwen with slight amusement on her lips.

"You know...Uncle Zax's...named for the famous northern suck up. Most of us don't even believe there ever was a real Zax. It's just someone made up to try to get us tieflings to be more obedient. If there was a real Zax, I'm sure everyone in the building would rise up and beat the snot out of him. ", sniffed Blackscale.

Zax gave a panicked look to Darwen who simply smiled. " Oh...I'm sure behind every myth there's a shred of truth. ", the elf said slyly to her orange companions distress.

* * *

><p>As the group entered the main hall Zax was treated to another surprise. Chins and Sharliss appeared waiting for him. Sharliss appeared similar to the last he saw her , except somehow she managed to clean up and apparently wash after their sparring session . Her normally flowing blue hair was pulled back to reveal her small twisted horns. Chins on the other hand was clearly different he had purple skin and what looked like horns on his head.<p>

"There he is! ", shouted Sharliss gleefully.

"I told you he's safe. You got all worked up and dragged me here for nothing. ", said the oddly purple half elf indignantly.

"Look! Everyone's here apparently. There's Darwen and Nymk!", said the young priestess.

Zax turned and looked for the barbarian maid, but couldn't see her from the crowd. He wondered if she was hiding amongst the "ho's" infected by abyssal fever he passed earlier.

Sharliss began waving at the roof, but was quickly stopped by Chins. "Don't do that. You want her to shoot you or something. ", said the purple paladin.

Sharliss obeyed her guardian and turned happily to Zax. "We were all so worried after the duel. We assumed the worse !", the girl said.

"Abaddine, Lilithy , Gammon, and Dissphatchula at your service ma'am. We rescued him from that fracas, but it seemed he didn't need to be. It is rare to meet a Greater Tiefling , but it doesn't surprise me that Zahax is friends with one. ", spoke the one called Abaddine formerly known as Devilman . Zax thought they were odd names, and preferred the ones he assigned to them instead.

"This is my guardian Sarin and I am Sharliss. ", said the girl politely. "Err...what's a greater tiefling?", she added with slight confusion.

"Oh you know...the humans call them half fiends, but really they are just tieflings with a higher percentage of blessed blood. ", replied Lilithy or Birdgirl.

Sharliss looked at her hands in wonder and slowly turned them in awe.

"Are you sure of this? ", asked Chins with a hint of worry on his face.

"Is this a test or something? But yes I'm sure, well at least 90% sure. I can see she has horns, that's common enough. The teeth , which are also common. If I'm not mistaken I can tell she files her claws. All common enough to evade suspicion from the humans. Most of them are oddly colored, the majority of them being black skinned and scaled, but I suppose her blue hair does count. And if I'm not mistaken I see she has scales growing from the roots of her horns. Most importantly she has that aura of command, its hard to describe but I can definitely feel it from her. I would be 100% certain of her heritage if she had wings, but I've known some without them ." , said Lilithy knowingly.

Chins nodded at the response, and looked at Sharliss.

"Oh , we have to talk more Lilithy.", the priestess said with a smile. The bird faced woman seemed happy to receive the attentions of a Greater Tiefling and happily began answering her questions.

As the two were engaged Zax crept up to Chins . "Psst...I didn't know you were a tiefling too. Why didn't you say anything. I wouldn't have let your secret out. ", whispered the orange boy.

Chins rapped him hard on the head. "It's paint you fool . Its a tactic we sometimes use to sneak into the underdark and spy on the Cave Drow. "Purple Face", is not something I'm proud of , but we do what we must. Oh, and the horns are fake too, they won't hold up to scrutiny but luckily I'm taller then most of you guys. No one can get a good look. ", he whispered.

Zax motioned to Sharliss, "Aren't half fiends ...you know dangerous? Duke Ari was a half fiend I heard. She's not one right ? She doesn't have the wings."

Sarin stared grimly at the young girl. He let Zax's question remain unanswered.

* * *

><p>"Freedom ... Anarchy...Rebellion ...Tieflings! ", shouted blue skinned wart covered tiefling on the impromptu stage.<p>

"FREEDOM ...ANARCHY...REBELLION...TIEFLINGS ! ", shouted back the huge crowd of deformed humanoids. Although it was disorganized, chaotic, and seemingly without purpose the sight of thousands of tieflings in the ware house filled Zax's heart with pride.

"The Grommers told us we couldn't have this rally you know. Said it was a fire hazard. ", said "Bluewart".

"BOOOOOO...DOWN WITH GROM! ", was the crowds response.

Bluewart waited till the crowds roar died down. "I told them Fire hazard! We're Tieflings for the Abyss's sake. We would set this place on fire ourselves if we hadn't already paid a deposit on it! ", laughed the announcer to the glee of the crowd. Zax respected the man on the stage, he really knew how to work the crowd.

"As you know! This is an open forum we tieflings have to discuss our future. Being an organization with Anarchy in our name, we really don't have any leaders! However we are an organic mutating wave of change. What will be said today we can all take to heart and do with as you please! So if anyone has anything to say , please step up and say it ! ", Bluewart shouted.

Zax thought that was one of the stupider things he had heard for awhile. Even dumber then "Purple Face", and adventurer slaying "ice covered logs". No wonder his people were basket cases. They never had great meetings like this in the north, and from the looks of it he was glad they didn't . They didn't have a true leader as well,although many did look up to Insector, his rival Lady Nayra, and oddly enough Lady Wayland. Although she wasn't a tiefling, the human cleric had rescued many of them and inspired many of them to seek a better life, himself included.

The first tiefling that stepped up was greeted with a host of boos and cat calls. He was one of the biggest tieflings Zax had ever seen. He was as big as Sarin but appeared to be made of sculpted muscle not excess blubber. Besides being orange, which was most likely painted on, he had short ram horns and an almost animalistic face.

"Traitor! Uncle Zax! Boot licker! ", were some of the cries.

Zax turned to Blackscale who was also booing. "Who is that ? ", asked the orange tiefling.

"Ohh , he calls himself Zax, but he's not the real Zax, his real name is Yperion or something. Some local kid that made it big as a mercenary in the planar city of Sigil or something. Came back after making his fortune, and started lecturing us on how we should integrate with the humans instead of making war with them. He paints himself orange to emulate that Zax guy to throw that Uncle Zax monicker we gave him back to our faces. ", replied Blackscale.

"BOO all you want ! ", Big Zax shouted. "You all heard my message before and you know its true. Although you close your ears and don't want to hear me , in your hearts you know its the only way. I want our people to grow strong and prosper as much as anyone else, but rebellion is not the answer. Look at what the last three had gotten us. The ones that followed the banner of Geryon were obliterated mercilessly. The ones that joined with the gnolls also met with a similar fate. Even worse the humans sing songs and write stories about how poorly our people fared that day. The ones's that flocked to Duke Ari's banner met with some success but in the end they were destroyed as well. You can blame our numbers for this lack of success, but it doesn't have to be that way. We are more numerous then halflings and definitely more then elves, but somehow they are in respected positions in society while we live and sneak around in sewers and slums. The more we fight the Grommers and Knights , the more they kick us back into the dirt. Every time they kick us down, we rise up to fight them again, which results in another beating. We can't keep doing this. We have to break the cycle!".

The crowd was silent, but suddenly an angry roar filled the room. Zax couldn't hear what they were saying but he had the general impression they were not too happy. Big Zax stood defiant , but when rotten fruit , garbage and even rocks started to fly at him, he quickly retreated back to the crowd.

"Well...now we have that out of the way. Let's listen to a real speaker!", shouted Bluewart over the angry crowd. The crowd grew quiet as one of the dark armored tieflings with the spikes appeared on stage.

"The stink of cowardice still reeks up here. ", Spikearmor said to the laughter of the crowd.

"I know a few of you think we have to work with the humans, but that's not the way to achieve respect for our people. It's true we've suffered some humbling defeats, but those that fought know the tide is changing. Unlike the last speaker who was living the good life in Sigil while the rest of us rotted here, we've fought the Grommers and Knights from the battles of the Scar, to the razing of Hendor. Sure we took our lumps, but our foes have learned to fear us with each battle. I'll gladly take a dozen defeats to finally achieve one victory. Sooner or later the Merchants Masters of Grom will recognize our purpose , they will have to grant us an area for our homeland. We have to keep fighting brothers, we have them on the ropes. We will pay for this with their blood and ours if we have too ! DEATH or GLORY I SAY! FREEDOM ...ANARCHY...REBELLION...TIEFLINGS ! ", Spikearmor shouted to the approval of the thousands of tieflings gathered.

Zax revised his opinion of the stupidest thing he had ever heard. He thought Bluewart was an idiot , but this guy easily trumped him. Zax looked around the warehouse there were at least 2000 tieflings gathered tightly here. Even if there were triple, quadruple or even 10x that number, the Third Army could easily crush them . A single platoon of golems could destroy them without suffering a single dent. Worse yet, was their inability to hide in a crowd. With human versus human rebellions, the rebels could easily vanish into the main population. His deformed brethern would have no such luck. The humans could easily identify them and would slay or enslave all tieflings they caught. Friend or Foe. Zax knew if Spikearmor had his little war, even "Uncle Zaxs", like himself would not be spared the humans wrath. His people were barely tolerated right now, open aggression and warfare would destroy everything the majority of tieflings had worked so hard for.

Zax looked at the reactions of his companions. Devilman was clearly in favor of such a plan. Birdgirl, Badgerhalfling, and Blackscale seemed less then enthused. He noticed shock and even fear in Darwen and Sharliss at this violent plan. Chins seemed unimpressed though, to Zax it looked like he was either sizing up a future opponent or more likely picking out a cut of meat from the butchers.

Bluewart clapped his hands as he once again returned to the stage. " Thank you Darkmodeus. It's always great to hear a true tiefling patriot ! ", he said to cheers. " Our next speaker is someone you all know well. He helped organize the massive Occupy Grom movement last Fall. "

The crowd's reaction was mixed as red skinned man with an unnaturally long neck and two extra ears growing on his fore head stepped forward. Fourears seemed to ignore the boos and reacted favorably to just the cheers. He walked around the stage seemingly inciting his supporters and angering his opponents. Zax thought the man was an amateur in the art of mob manipulation. He shouldn't segregate his audience like he was doing, but find something that both could cheer for.

"Although Darkmodeus is a true patriot to our cause, violence is not the answer my friends ! ", Fourears shouted to the crowd. The crowd reacted back with an angry murmur, and Zax could almost feel the violence directed at the man on stage. " Let's just look at the facts here, the humans and their allies out number us nearly twenty to one. They have an army, multiple armies in fact, they have their secret police. The Royal Adventurer's, The Royal Assassins, The Royal Tax Collectors, the Royal Rangers, and even more secretive Royal branches that we don't know about. More importantly they have all the resources. They own the magic items, the warmachines, the banks, the ships, the mines, the lumber mills, even the warehouses. This warehouse is owned by a human in fact! ", Zax wondered if the gathered tieflings would burn their little "club house " down after the meeting, and made a note to escape the premises before he found out.

"We can't beat these people in a straight up fight. We have to appeal to their common sense, their compassion, and their love ! Last fall our occupy Grom movement was a great success . We proved that through non violent means we can raise awareness of our problems to the masses. I admit the entire affair was a bit disorganized, and our point was muted by various unwanted sideshows. ", Fourears said while casting glances at Spikearmor and Big Zax's supporters. " The people of Grom City now know what we stand for! We are the 5% ..our voices shall be heard !". The long necked tiefling raised his hands and expected the crowd to cheer him , but was only greeted by a slight drizzling of applause.

"All you did was annoy them! "

"All Occupy Grom did was get us a bunch of citations when the Grommers finally got tired of us squatting. "

"That was the most useless and embarrassing thing I ever did in my life. I felt like a hobo! "

"Someone stole my tent! Who's gonna pay for that! "

"We should have rioted!"

Shouted the crowd. To his credit Fourears didn't retreat but stood his ground, "Well what do you want? Armed rebellion? Look , unlike elves we aren't fighters. Every elf in the world knows how to handle a bow and sword like a soldier , unfortunately we aren't like them. We can barely handle our pitchforks. I want our people to rise up as much as the next tiefling, but we can't fight Grommers in a straight up battle ! ", he shouted .

The crowd's mood definitely turned sour after that. To be told you were weak was one thing, to be told you were weaker then elves was completely a different matter. Rocks and debris began pelting the stage. One even struck Fourears solidly in the head. The pacifist tiefling fell in a heap, and Zax would have guessed he would be slain except Big Zax suddenly jumped on the stage and dragged the unconscious man off. This of course got the crowd even madder, and Zax sensed a full scale riot was about to occur.

"We should leave. This isn't a meeting this a pack of wild animals. ", said Chins. Although it was a slight to his race, Zax promptly agreed. He turned and saw Sharliss, Birdgirl, Blackscale, and Badgerhalfling also nod with the false tiefling's sentiments.

Zax felt an arm grab his and begin leading him out of the warehouse. It was like a wild party in the warehouse , without the booze, music, and hot women. Zax followed where he was lead. As the crowd thinned he found himself next to the stage with Devilman smiling happily at him.

"Hey , you're up next! ", the tiefling smiled at him.

* * *

><p>"Silence...silence! Before we knock down this warehouse, and proceed with our regularly scheduled riot, we have another speaker. The Heroic Zahax , a visitor from Northern Grom. I suspect he will fortify our courage with tales of how a truly defeated people they are. Let his tales inspire us to avoid their fates !", shouted Bluewart to the crowd.<p>

"Who the hell is that? Who is Zahax? ", yelled someone from the crowd.

"I saw him kill six rats! ", shouted a voice that sounded like Blackscale.

"No..no it was seven rats ! He killed seven rats! ", a voice that sounded like Birdgirl replied.

"Thirteen rats! He must be a hero! ", said a large sarcastic purple faced tiefling.

Zax sneered at Chins, but waited at the edge of the stage.

Zax did not really want to get on the stage. He had no stake in this . The sight of Fourears being struck by a rock frightened the orange tiefling. However, the lure of a stage and a captive audience was too much for the attention hungry tiefling to ignore. Zax took a deep breath and strode on the stage. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, he was no revolutionary. He was just a simple carriage driver with an inflated reputation. His sharp mind quickly remembered a speech that Lady Wayland gave once, and promptly changed the details to fit his purposes. It was a speech she gave the tieflings in the orphanage to inspire them and Zax had committed most of it to memory.

"Brothers, Sisters, Friends, Tieflings! I've come to you from Northern Grom. I am not here to spread tales of our defeat by the Grommers, or of the death of the hero Duke Ari. No I come here to tell you our master plan! ", Zax shouted.

"Master plan? What's he talking about? What plan? ", murmured the crowd in confusion.

Zax waited for the crowd to consider his statement. He wasn't waiting for them to be quiet but just timing the exact moment to make the most dramatic impact.

"Yes the Master Plan! As you know we had a few set backs recently, but our tiefling spirit will not let us lie down and face defeat like whipped dogs. We aren't hungry halflings, weaselly gnomes, greedy dwarves, or prancing elves. We're tieflings ,we live for victory! ", Zax shouted. That was all a lie though, tieflings had never won anything to his knowledge. Even all tiefling Lemball teams were known to be regularly trounced. The closest thing that tieflings were famous for winning was games of "chance." , which of course Zax knew weren't based on chance at all. The crowd however loved the inaccurate comparison and cheered their approval.

"Our problem is not the lack of a fighting spirit, money, or even blades and training. Our problem is INFRASTRUCTURE! ", Zax shouted to a now confused crowd.

"Infrastructure? Does he means roads or something ? Sewer management? Bridges?", were some of the responses .

"Before we can realize our dreams we need to infiltrate the human's society. We need to put tieflings in positions of power. We need bankers, businessmen, doctors, clerics,mages, sages soldiers, officers , tax collectors...and dear I dream Royal Adventurers! ", shouted Zax at the stunned crowd.

"Are you nuts, they won't even let us in the army!", cried a very vocal doubter.

Zax of course expected this, and quickly dug his lieutenant chevron and an impressive looking medal from his satchel. " What's this then! I'm a lieutenant in the Grommish Third Army . The army that defeated Lord Ari. Trust me , it took every trick and bribe I could muster to worm my way into their ranks. However when the day comes I will be ready to do my part! Can the rest of you claim the same! ", cried Zax. His statement was only partially true though, he was only a lieutenant in the militia now, but the point was made and he doubt anyone in the crowd would notice the difference.

"Trust me its not easy, it might take one or two generations but eventually we'll be ready to strike. Some of you might have to get an education, others apprenticeships , but we will be ready when the time comes. Already in Northern Grom we have people in positions of power. Everyone has heard of Lady Nayra the tax collector, and of course Insector the gladiator. Soon the tieflings of Northern Grom Tieflings will throw off our shackles. Will the Tieflings in Central Grom be ready as well ? ", challenged Zax.

"Hell yeah we will! "

"Tiefling power"

"FREEDOM ...ANARCHY...REBELLION...TIEFLINGS ! ", answered the enthusiastic crowd.

Zax waited for them to calm down before he finished his speech. "Its a long road, and trust me it won't be easy. As we all know humans like nothing better then kick us while we're down. They would like nothing better then keeping us in our "place". We have to be smarter then them, we have to endure their humiliations and challenges. If that means keeping our noses cleans then so be it. Why settle for a few gratifying but ultimately small victories, our goal is the rise and acceptance of the tiefling people! We will worm our way into their society , and rise up against them when they realized its too late and futile to resist. They won't know what hit them! My life long dream is a land where tieflings can take their proper place in society. Long have I hoped for a society where I can bear children of my own in peace .", finished Zax.

"Bear his children in peace? "

"Is he...err a girl or something? "

"Is Zahax a hermaphrodite?"

"I think he means that metaphorically."

Zax suddenly realized his slip up. Although he had changed the majority and tone of Lady Wayland's speech , he absent mindedly let the last part slip. Zax admitted it was probably because he once had a secret crush on the lovely Mistress of Koryis , and as a youth he always imagined he would be the one to help her bear her children.

Despite the last statement the crowd roared in approval. Zax wondered if any of them would take what he said at heart, but was more interested in the ego boosting the crowds roar gave him. He felt two feet taller as he walked off the stage to a hail of applause and cheers. Despite his priorities , Zax knew he had made a difference, even if only ten % of this unruly crowd took his speech to heart.

His friends were waiting for him, truly awed by his performance.

"You're gonna need wider hips then those if you're going to consider bearing your own children in peace.",smiled the Darwen at the tiefling.


	19. Chapter 19

"That was pretty clever what you did on stage . Do you think anyone will actually take what you said to heart? ", spoke Darwen appreciatively. The elf was in her military uniform , and Zax noted that his earlier gender hiding musings of the outfit were correct. Despite her startling pretty face, the tiefling could not tell if she was a cross dressing man or a poorly endowed woman from across the dinner table.

Zax shrugged. Although they seemed unruly and uncivil , the tiefling felt a strong kinship to his people. "It wasn't like I introduced a revolutionary new idea. I was just the first one to present it in an appealing way .", the tiefling sighed. Zax recalled from a general observation of the hall that most of the people were less then enthused about the polices and paths that were presented on stage. Close proximity to a few very vocal factions gave the impression of a much angrier mob.

Darwen nodded and ate a few sparse bites of her dinner. "One things for sure, there wasn't a riot. I was told that after each meeting there was generally civil mayhem involved. I am surprised the guards didn't have the place surrounded.", the elf said.

"It's probably because we were in a tiefling neighborhood. "A little Gehenna" I think they called them here. Nobody important cares if that place gets trashed. ", Zax said wearily , already tired of the conversation.

Despite his companions subdued beauty something just seemed off to the tiefling. Zax scanned the pleasant restaurant and recalled the events of the last few days.

After the meeting, Zax and his companions returned to the caravan , which had mostly broken up. Kirgi left a note to Zax telling him where they were staying while, Sharliss and Chins made their way to the academic district in town. The other merchants dispersed as soon as the guards released their carts them from being impounded. To Zax's disappointment and surprise Darwen took her pack and bid her host farewell. She was heading to the docks to seek passage on the first available ship to Narwhal hold . It was an uncomfortable moment, Zax recalled exchanging good byes and then leaning in to kiss her farewell. Darwen easily evaded his crude gesture, despite their familiarity with each other. The tiefling realized then that they weren't that close at all. They were sadly just friends. At that point Zax thought he would never see her again.

Halvor and company were already busy planning their trip back north. They knew that they had to strike while the iron's hot. They were the first to brave the pass in almost two years, and any merchants would seek them out first if they wanted to head to Heldann and Lower Lueders. Zax knew that other caravans would soon be making that journey , so his compatriots had no time to waste . He estimated they would leave in about a week, plenty of time for Kirgi to do his victory lap with his hired whores.

The big knight had asked Zax to accompany them again. It was very tempting for the tiefling. The caravan profits greatly exceeded the 1000 gold he was initially told. With the bonuses thrown in and his share of the troll treasure, Zax figured it was closer to 10,000 not including the few items he gained. As a business owner, he had to work nearly a year for that amount, and he made that in a mere two weeks. Sure there was mind shattering danger, and pulse pounding adventure but he could see how so many were lured down the path of "adventuring". Despite the hefty profits, Zax awaited word from his assistants Henri and Luthor that his affairs were settled with the Royal Tax Collectors and more importantly the dangerous Lady Nayra back in Lower Lueders.

During the next few days, Zax accomplished a lot with businessman like efficiency. He redid his wardrobe to match that of the fashion of the Imperial Capital. He rented a cozy Villa . He even hired some local urchin touts to show him around the sights and all the important businesses and districts. All done with his heroic charm , flare, and savvy business acumen. There were some that resented the fact he was a tiefling, but a smile and liberal application of coin were enough to sway the gold hungry merchants of the city. Zax recalled deciding to give up his false persona back at Fortress Grom, but he found it difficult to do. It seemed a part of him now. Even though he knew it was all a big act, he didn't think it hurt anyone . He even rationalized to himself that it actually helped inspire people.

Everything was in place for a long boring spring and summer the tiefling thought. The idea of spending a lazy few months in Grom City appealed to Zax, but thoughts of lost profits and the recent excitement of the last few weeks made him long to return with his new friends. Zax was pleasantly surprised when he received a dinner invitation from Darwen the other day . He had thought she had shipped off by now, but guessed she had trouble booking passage. He wondered if she needed funds or was just lonely for company? Whatever the reason, the tiefling was only too eager to accept.

Now after a surprisingly good meal, he found himself sitting across from the modestly dressed elf. Zax noted sadly that the conversation was remarkably boring, it was mostly about the near riot a few days ago at the ware house. Although the tiefling found her the object of his desire, he wondered if she felt the same for him. When first they met, Zax could almost feel the sparks between them, but they quickly dulled and faded. Despite his desire for her, the evening was far from what he had hoped. He wondered if Chins 480 date assessment was correct? If so was it to be 479 more till she opened up fully to him.

"Zax...I have a favor to ask.", the elf said uncomfortably.

"Ahh...here it is. The reason she asked me out here. The reason I had to endure this. ", thought the Tiefling.

"As you can deduce , I missed my boat and was unable to book passage on another . This would have caused me considerable distress, but I had a conversation with Sarin a few days ago about this. ", the elf began.

Zax knew they were in a small caravan, but didn't realize that Chins and Darwen bothered exchanging words. It would seem logical since one was a half elf and the other an elf.

"Sarin apparently received a similar invitation . He laughed at it though. He said his aunt was responsible for this entire elf gathering campaign. He predicted it to be nothing but a ...big sing along hand holding fest. I was hoping to discover my roots and heritage, but he assured me it was going to be the most boring thing I ever attended.", said the elf.

* * *

><p>Somewhere in the north.<p>

"High Treekeeper Surry. Don't you think this garb you provided for us is...rather skimpy?", asked an athletic looking elven priest in attire more suitable for a sunny beach.

"Nope.", smiled a similarly dressed Surry, scanning the man hungrily with her eyes.

"The musicians are here...and so are the twenty barrels of wine. Don't you think that's a bit excessive? ", continued the nervous but handsome elf.

"Not really. ", purred the priestess. "Now be a good priest and let the rest of the elves into the hall. We have some hard partying and debauchery to attend to."

* * *

><p>"I can only imagine ", sighed Zax, knowing her transportation problem only delayed the inevitable.<p>

"Well anyways, with my passage north gone. I decided to explore opportunities in the city. I'm under no obligations to return directly to the army, and thought it a perfect opportunity to pursue an interest of mine.", explained the elf.

This news perked Zax's interest. He knew she was delayed but guessed it was only for a few days possibly a week. If she was to remain in the City for awhile longer, the prospect of a boring lazy summer was suddenly replaced with one of hot romance . Zax's sudden revived interest told Darwen to continue.

"As you know I am a Bladesinger. We pride ourselves in our swordsmanship. The last few days I saw a few duels in the city . It seems duelists are in big demand here. Merchants use them to quickly settle disputes, while Nobleman have them accompany them to court. There's a large group of professional duelists here and I wanted to try my hand at it. ", said the elf.

"Err...Sounds dangerous. ", Zax said . If he was with anyone else he knew he would make up some boastful slight or encouraging heroic pablum but he knew he didn't need to when he was with Darwen. He wondered if that's what he found attractive about her.

"Yes it is. That's one of the draws I suppose. Although most duels are not to the death, they still do happen. Also even a non lethal duel can quickly result in death or dismemberment. ", said the elf wishfully.

Zax of course couldn't understand the attraction of these combat sports. Sure, watching them was fun, but actual participation in them was certainly unappealing to him. Risking your life in the army for your country was one thing, but battling to appeal to some merchant's or noble's warped sense of justice was another. Zax knew the entire point of duels was trivial. They didn't establish laws or precedents , they were just an outlet of bored rich people to get things settled quickly . It was also a way to show off , like horses, estates and armies, having the best duelist under your employ was just another way to show how rich you were. Regardless of his feelings he waited for his dinner companion to continue.

"I've been practicing my art for years, and knew I could be successful at it. However, I was unable to secure a patron at the Royal Court. I wasn't even allowed in, no one took me seriously and gave me a chance. ", she said downcast.

"Let me guess...you want me to do some name dropping and get you a job.", smiled the tiefling. Dueling wasn't his expertise, but social smoozing and impressing nobles was definitely something he excelled at.

Darwen smile indicated her answer, but Zax motioned her to settle down. "Well if we're gonna do this. We're going to do things my way. I don't know much about dueling but I have seen a few. Basically its like the coliseum fights, but geared more to settle some trivial point of nobility or honor. Its all about showmanship, and finesse. We're going to have to change your image to make yourself more appealing to a noble's fancies. To begin with, the uniform has definitely got to go."

Darwen looked at her form stealing drab outfit. "What's wrong with my uniform?", she asked in surprise.

* * *

><p>The next morning flew by quickly.<p>

Darwen was amazed at how much thought Zax had put into this. She wondered how often the roguish tiefling mentally undressed and dressed her in his mind's eye. She was only given the option of "face" or "heel" when choosing outfits. She wasn't sure their exact meanings but could hazard a guess. She choose "face" a good guy and the tiefling quickly took her to various tailors in one of the noble districts in town. She was surprised that in the short time he was in the city the merchants had gotten to know him so well. Even the urchins were waving at him as he passed.

In the end , her practical uniform and sturdy brown leather armor was replaced with glittering white breastplate and greaves. The clothes that peaked out from underneath were of the finest black leathers, accented with lace. To top it off, Zax placed a wide triconda Dragoneer hat, complete with a long angel feather. Darwen thought that without the breast plate she looked more like a courtesan or even worse ,a high priced prostitute. Zax on the other hand thought it was perfect.

"Are you attached to your hair?",asked the tiefling casually.

Darwen was shocked, was he going to have her cut off her hair? Even though she seldom applied cosmetics and makeup to herself, she did value her odd grey and green hair. " YES of course I am. ", she replied in surprise.

"Ok no dyes , we'll go for a wig. ", shrugged Zax, "Let me see...with your striking blue eyes. You'll look good as a classic blonde I think. "

"My eyes are striking?", asked the elf in a joking manner, appearing to be flattered.

"Like arrows to my heart. ", laughed the tiefling in return with no need to lie.

* * *

><p>Zax choose a mount that looked more impressive then it actually was. He didn't need a reliable mount for Darwen, just something flashy and feisty to impress the nobles. He himself rode in on Buckviii or Eight Bucks. As a handler of animals, he knew that it was a rare breed and would impress more astute eyes.<p>

The royal court was quite interesting, it was a large palace actually complete with various halls, libraries, dining rooms, and gardens. The most intriguing thing about it was that there was no actual "Royals" to hold court in it . Zax knew that all members of the royal Family had disappeared or were slain about a hundred years or so. Everyone expected Grom to revert back to a Republic but the people in power resisted change fiercely. They were happy with the way things were going and were determined to keep it that way. Zax didn't support the concept of a monarchy or a republic , he knew either one would tax him the same, but did agree that the current system did bring some order to the vast country. The ruling caste of Grom, the oddly named Royal Adventurers opened the court so nobles and wealthy merchants can conduct business in a civilized and more importantly controlled manner. They were entertained by musicians and dancers, and served food at the government's expense. The occasional duel was fought under the watchful eye of someone called the Scorpion of Grom, but that in itself was another way to control those who thought they were in power. Still, all in all life was good in the Royal Court.

The tiefling expected his reputation to be challenged when he made his way in court. That was the only thing that worried him in his plan to get Darwen a duelist position. He hoped that a little name dropping would convince the nobles of his reputation, but as it turned out he already had help. Some of the merchants he escorted were more important then they had let on. Zax smiled, and considered it something he would do as well in their circumstance. Without any encouragement , they spread his tales of hag killing, goblin slaying, giant conquering, troll stomping, and even fortress liberating to the other nobles. As if on cue, the well dressed and theatrical Zax appeared and just confirmed their seemingly impossible tall tales.

Zax knew some of the other duelists would be prepared to challenge him, but that was all part of the plan. He would simply state that to challenge him, they must go through his apprentice first, " The Daring Darwen " . Zax the swordsmaster wouldn't even consider a battle, till they defeated his apprentice first. The tiefling knew it was a gamble but he placed his faith in his beautiful companion. A few simple duels, then he would take his leave due to more "pressing matters". After that , Darwen's reputation should be well established, and the elf presumably would be more attentive to his advances. All in all a good plan Zax thought.

As a ring of hero worshipers and fawning admirers gathered around Zax a loud gong suddenly sounded in the hall. Zax saw they were announcing some big shot nobles entry. Apparently the ambassador of the Ice Griffon and the Ambassadors of Gnomar had arrived. The fact they arrived so close together brought everyone gossiping about alliances and treaties. All this was secondary to the tiefling, all he knew was that dinner was probably going to be served soon.

Zax saw his companion was overwhelmed by this whole environment, and he was glad he accompanied her . He gave her arm a firm grip to tell her to be ready . A bit of the elven soldier's spirit returned and she smiled at him knowingly.

The tiefling knew his mere racial heritage was enough to cause a stir amongst the court, but he took the time during the meal break to pick out suitable foes for Darwen. Someone big and flashy, and preferably drunk. He wasn't a duelist himself, but he watched enough battles in the coliseum to know which matches favor her. He wanted someone slow so she could take advantage of her speed. He picked out some candidates and asked Darwen for her approval before making his move. The elf for her part, seemed confident about her skills to take any of them on.

"Watch where you are going you clumsy oaf! ", said Zax who clearly ran into a merchant. He spilled wine all over the man's robe and waited for the fireworks to start. He saw his large half ogre champion begin to flex and knew all was going according to plan. In his scheming mind, he expected the merchant to be quite shrill and vocal about the incident. Words would be exchanged and his champion would soon face his apprentice in a duel. Darwen would win, some other noble would hire her, then he would be having hot elf sex sometime in the evening with his appreciative "student".

The merchant scowled but suddenly turned white. "A thousand pardons Sir Zax. Please forgive my digression. ", blubbered the man before he retreated into the crowd, with his large champion in tow.

Zax knew he had a fierce reputation, but didn't think these Central Grommers would be that in awe of him.

The tiefling attempted another approach. He found his second target haggling fiercely with another merchant. Zax in turn butted into their conversation and supported his target's foes side. He had no clue what he was talking about, but he half expected the man to send in his Dwarf Barbarian to silence him. Sadly like the first merchant he apologized profusely before retreating.

"Having troubles finding a sparring partner?", asked a whispery rasping voice.

Zax looked and saw it was an impeccably well dressed elf who was addressing him. From his garb and medals he suspected he was some big shot in royal court. Zax thought he looked familiar but couldn't place the face. "A hero like myself never looks for trouble, but I tend to find it regardless." , laughed the tiefling as he assumed his heroic persona.

"I wondered when you would make an appearance at court. I thought it might be to lobby for concessions for your caravan, I didn't think it would be to pick a fight.", laughed the elf in return .

Zax knew he was discovered, but shrugged off the accusation. "You wound me with your acute observation . I must admit I was a bit bored and was scoping out the local competition. I applaud you for your excellent deduction. ", claimed Zax trying to appeal to the elf's vanity. He could sense this man was in a position of power and thought a quick retreat might be in order.

The elf smiled, "Ricardo Belcadiz . Royal adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion, Prince in exile, Scorpion of Grom, Grandson of Carnelia de Fedoriad also known widely as Lord Quick at your service. No need to introduce yourself, everyone knows the Mighty Champion Zax of the Husky." . Zax wasn't sure how dangerous this Lord Quick was, but his title certainly impressed him. Anyone with the titles of Grand Duelist must be a dangerous foe.

Zax noticed the elf's voice carried quite far for being whispery and raspy. A small congregation of admirers had gathered, but Lord Quick waved them aside. He indicated Zax to follow him, and the tiefling had no choice but to oblige. To his surprise, he sat in an impressive throne and indicated a seat for Zax to sit next to him.

"Sweet.. Front row seats. ", thought Zax as he happily took a spot next to his new "friend."

Zax suddenly remembered the true purpose he was here, to find Darwen a duel, and hopefully a patron. As he scanned the crowd, he noticed that his fetchingly dressed companion seemed to have no trouble finding nobles to talk to. He guessed that her beauty and grace might be able to convince someone to hire her without even observing her actual skills. He patted himself on the back on his make over skills.

"Ever since we heard you defeated Sir Ivanovic, people have been questioning the legitimacy of your victory.", whispered Lord Quick.

Zax recalled that was the name of the knight challenging him the other night, but there was no actual battle fought. He just dropped to his knee and gave him a bag. Zax recalled later examining the bag and was please to find it was similar to his magical satchel. It had a junky sword, armor and banner in it, but he set them aside to sell at a later date. The bag on the other hand was truly a special find though.

Zax nodded at Quick, "Oh yes. I gave that man quite a thrashing didn't I . ", the tiefling said not fully comprehending what he was actually saying.

"Yes , I must admit I was mildly disappointed. I had hoped to be the one who broke his record, but you beat me to it. Let me assure you though, there are bigger targets out there then Sir Ivanovic.", the elf said with a glint in his eye.

Zax paused, "Was he challenging me. Or was he setting me up for a fight. ", the tiefling wondered. He didn't want either. The special seat was nice, and so was the food and drink, but the thought of actually fighting quickly made them lose their appeal.

"Is this the fresh meat?",asked a small nasally voice.

Zax paused and looked for the source, and was surprised to find it belong to a small well dressed and groomed gnome in front of him. He was dressed in similar attire to Darwen save he wore more frilly clothes and had a big yellow feather on his cap.

"Antoine...Always a pleasure. Let me introduce you to Champion Zax of the Husky. ", the elf said .

Zax watched the gnome stare at him, and a chill ran down his spine. Despite his size , he felt an aura of danger and menace emanating from the small man. The two briefly locked gazes, and Zax felt the smaller man's willpower over powering his.

"He doesn't seem like much. However...let's see how his apprentice fares.", smiled the gnome as he took a seat next to Quick.

Darwen! Zax thought , he scanned the room and noticed one of the body guards/knights that accompanied the ambassador of the Ice Griffons in a heated exchange with his lovely elven companion. Zax knew she could handle herself , but something felt wrong, maybe it was the crab sausage he ate earlier.

"Call it off Antoine. ", said a husky familiar voice next to Zax. To the tiefling's surprise it was Sharliss's maid Nymph. He scanned quickly to see if her mistress or Chins was nearby.

"Lady Nymkakkyu! What a surprise. I would have brought more guards if I knew you were here. ", the gnome called Antoine replied.

Lord Quick simply bowed, "Always a pleasure Lady Nymk.", he said and indicated with a delicate gloved hand for her to take a seat next to Fetch.

"I'm serious Antoine. Leave the girl out of it. She's not a part of this game save for her association with Zax .", the maid said forcefully.

Zax had no clue what she was talking about. Was she delivering a message from Sharliss? Or was this some sort of code indicating she needed him to move so she could clean under the chair. As a carriage driver, he employed various codes and phrases with other drivers to indicate easy business or trouble makers, did maids have a similar secret language?

"I'm afraid its too late for that.", indicated Quick who seemed amused at the proceedings. Zax turned and saw that the knight and Darwen issuing challenges to each other. He couldn't hear the words, but knew a duel was to commence.

Nymph turned to Zax with real worry in her eye, "Tell her to call it off. She's going to be killed . They saw you with her, they want to kill her to get to you.", pleaded the maid. The tiefling heard her speak but it was making no sense. Zax began to wonder if she was actually a maid...she seemed pretty chummy with these dangerous duelists...was she some sort of Duelist groupie? That would explain his first encounter with her. She was all over him when he beat that knight in the tavern a month ago.

"Too late.", chuckled Antoine. Zax saw the pair had proceeded to the main portion of the hall. They both seemed ready to battle, and the crowds of merchants and nobles seemed to egg the pair on. Nymk sat quietly in her chair, staring fiercely at Antoine. The gnome for his part smiled and pointed his nose at her. Zax wasn't sure if that was some gnomish counter challenge, but it seemed an odd gesture.

Lord Quick rose from his chair and spoke loudly. His strange whispery voice somehow managed to carry through the room. "A challenge has been laid?"

"I Albin of the Ice Griffons declare that Ice Elves as a race are a despicable lot and deserved to have been destroyed and scattered by the eternal enemy Sir Hildraxel.", bellowed the large knight. Large was an understatement. Zax figured the man must have been close to 7 feet tall .

"I Darwen of the Snow Elves refute his claim, and demand he humbly takes back his words. ", said Darwen in an unnaturally confident tone. Zax wondered if she was actually in danger. Despite Nymk's words, she was just a maid after all. She probably considered every fight a fight to the death. Perhaps Darwen herself thought this was all part of Zax's plans. Zax himself wasn't sure what was happening but he found himself frozen in his seat .

"Ahh...another pointless bloodbath. I was hoping you would be fighting for something other then honor and pride, but the challenge is acceptable to me. The terms?", asked Lord Quick with a bored tone.

"Melee ! ", the both shouted.

"To the death! ", added Albin. The last part caused a murmur through the crowd and seemed to briefly stun Darwen. However the elf quickly regained her composure and nodded in agreement. Zax blinked, did he say death? Nahh...he reassured himself, he must have been hearing things. No way would Darwen agree to a death duel on her first day in court. Even if it was a "death" duel, Zax knew that either party could stop it and submit to the mercies of the other party . That normally included public humiliation but it was better then dieing. Zax had to revise his plans if that happened, he would of course play the part of comforting boyfriend, take Darwen back to his Villa, and maybe have some hot elf sex then.

"Ahh...that makes things more interesting. As Queen's champion and Grand Duelist I agree to these terms. Fight Well! ", Lord Quick shouted with his raspy voice . Zax stared at Quick. How did he speak so loud with a whisper? Was it something he could practice? Was it magic? The tiefling thought it would be cool to be able to do that.

Zax felt a firm grip on his arm, and he turned and saw Nymk obviously distressed. The tiefling surmised the violence was too much for her , and she just wanted to be held. He would have done so in a second, but knew Darwen was watching. There was a slight chance he could arrange a three way, but knew one or the other would object, leaving him with no one to warm his bed tonight. He calmly patted her hand in return, "Better stick to the sure thing", he thought to himself as he watched Darwen.

"Zax...whatever you do, do not interfere in this. I'm honor bound not to interfere in duels. I can't help you if you try to stop it now.", the barbarian maid said fiercely.

"My apprentice can handle herself. But I won't hesitate to interfere if I sense anything but an honorable combat. I am the Champion of the ...errr snow dog. It will take more then some flying chicken knight to intimidate me. ", boasted the tiefling. Zax had no actual intention of interfering though. He knew his reputation probably made the maid think he was some kick ass blade wielding terror, but he knew that if Darwen couldn't handle it then he couldn't as well. He thought the last part of Nymk's statement was odd though, what was she going to do to help? Dust his chair while he was gone? Iron his cloak? Well...anything to make herself feel useful the tiefling thought.

"Well spoken Champion Zax. ", agreed Lord Quick as he overheard some of the conversation.

"No you idiot. They mean to savagely beat her...possibly kill her to either humiliate you or worse yet, draw you into battle. They still fear your elector votes, they want to intimidate or better yet eliminate you to seek your compliance. ", whispered Nymk.

"Whattt?", replied a confused tiefling. He recalled Tax Collector Nayra mentioning he had some votes in some northern sweat lodge council or something, but that was a long time ago. Why would they beat up Darwen to get at him? Was the elf in danger?

A roar from the crowd , brought Zax's attention to the duel before him. To his relief Darwen was darting in and out of the knight's reach, just as she told him to the other night. The knight was armored head to toe in massive grey platemail , and carried a large mace and tower shield. Darwen's light chain and rapier however , allowed her to keep circling on the knight's shield side and strike at her opponent freely. Zax was surprise the much bigger knight's reach was less then his mentors, but noticed the elf's long blade made up much of the reach. Added to her skillfully perfected lunges it seemed to the tiefling that Nymph's worries were unfounded.

"Ottimo ! Bravo ! ", roared Lord Quick in approval.

"I must say Champion Zax. I not only admire your acumen in battle, but your taste in ladies. ", he said while eying how the pretty Nymk was clutching Zax's arm. " Lady Sharliss, our lovely Nymk here, even your beautiful student. I'm surprised you have any time for dueling. ", chuckled the Grand Duelist.

Zax would have responded but was engrossed in the battle. He knew that Darwen was winning, but he still felt a nervous knot in his stomach.

The crowd roared once again , as the elf managed to insert her rapier between one of the knight's greaves. She added to his insult by sending magical bolts of energy to strike the man. The knight's shield however glowed black and calmly absorbed the energy. Darwen seemed to make a mental note of this to herself and resumed her methodically disassembly of the man.

"A magical shield? Is that really fair?", asked Zax.

"Oh I don't know how you duel up north, but almost everything is fair here. Magical items are just another extension of wealth. This entire dueling thing is just another way for the rich and powerful to exert their will over the weak. ", laughed Lord Quick.

Antoine nodded, "One of the few admirable elements of Grom. There isn't much dueling in Gnommar I'm afraid.", the gnome said with a sigh.

The battle seemed to progress poorly for Albin, he had suffered a dozen unanswered blows but it did not seem to faze him. Zax could tell that Darwen was holding back some of her attacks, she apparently wanted a peaceful end to this "death " duel, but her opponent wasn't taking the hint. Another slash and quick riposte from the elf's blade sent the shoulder pauldron of the battered knights armor clattering on the floor. A sudden chorus of boos erupted from the crowd as a patch of grey skin was seen.

"BOOO...Stone skin!...Booo!", cried the crown.

Zax joined in the chorus. It was just like the arena. Gladiators were only suppose to fight with their own magic if they had any. From his time in the army Zax knew that stone skin was a powerful spell cast by a magician to enhance their allies resilience, it was useful for front line troops, but considered borderline cheating by gladiators and duelists.

Lord Quick held out his hand and the duel stopped.

"I used a scroll !", yelled Albin. It was an unlikely story , but Quick nodded and indicated the battle to resume. Even Zax knew that was a common excuse, and even if the knight won the crowd would still boo him. Ignoring the crowd, the pair continued their battle.

Zax could tell Darwen's attacks were no longer restrained, and her blade flashed angrily at the "cheat". Albin flailed helplessly unable to counter the swift elf. Zax noticed Antoine watching the fight closely. He could almost see the gnome analyzing the battle blow by blow. He noticed the small man wave over an aide and whispered instructions to him. In turn the aide swiftly went to the Ice Griffon knights and relayed the message to them.

"Time out!", yelled one of the Ice griffon entourage.

Lord Quick seemed annoyed at the disruption but allowed them the break. "30 seconds. Woe to you if I catch any "scrolls" being employed during the break. ", threatened Lord Quick.

The battle resumed and Zax could tell that the knight's tactics had changed. Instead of striking at the elf, he seemed more concern about hammering her weapon. Zax knew it was a risky move on the knight's part, but also knew the he was still protected by both heavy armor and his stone skin spell. The first few attempts failed miserably and allowed Darwen to dart in a few more times. The spell was finally worn out by her attacks, and the elf pressed her attack. To Zax's surprise Albin continued his weapon sundering attempts and to everyone's amazement he managed to connect . The mace glowed a sickly Green as it met the flashing rapier. Despite the rapier's fine craftsmanship, it was no match for the magical dark iron mace. The weapon shattered as the elf spun away.

"I submit.", stammered the elf in shock.

"I do not accept . We fight to the death.", answered the knight with a merciless roar.

The crowd of course booed, but it didn't seem to affect Albin. He was the bad guy or "heel" and gladly relished the role. The knight pressed his attack again, but to Darwen's credit, she quickly retrieved a hidden knife and darted into his reach. The knight hadn't expected such a maneuver, and roared in pain as her dagger stabbed deeply into his exposed shoulder. She attempted a spell again, but it was negated once again by his shield.

Zax really thought it was unfair now. First he had the shield that absorbed magic , next he busted up her non magical blade with his clearly magical mace.

The elf managed a few more well placed strikes before the inevitable happened. The knight swung his mace in a wide arc. Darwen knew she couldn't block such a blow and attempted to dodge underneath it. If it happened earlier in the battle, Zax knew she could easily slip by , but the fatigue of the battle wore on her and she was clipped with a sickening crack in the skull.

Zax flinched, but noticed that Nymk held fast to his arm. She shook her head gravely.

Albin paused and stared directly at Zax , the tiefling suddenly felt an urge to join the fray but was held back by the remarkably strong maid. Despite the carnage, it was the first time Zax feared for Darwen's life. He thought it was all a game before, but it was clearly a lot more serious then he thought. At worst he thought the elf would be battered about, but it was clear the knight meant to kill her.

"Stop !",cried Zax but no one seemed to hear him.

Albin brought the mace and it crashed into Darwen's back. It made a sickening crunch as the elf flinched involuntarily on the ground. Her body shook weekly from the blow.

Albin stared at Zax and again their eyes met. Zax knew he would keep doing this till either he stopped it or Darwen died. He finally understood Nymph's warning, they wanted to kill him and if that wasn't possible they would hurt those close to him. He tried to move again , but again Nymph held him back.

Zax had enough, he used his infernal power and raised his skin's temperatures to almost dangerous levels. The attack was laughably weak but it surprised the maid enough to release her grip. Zax took the opportunity and bolted . He considered bolting away , hopping on Buckviii and riding off, but instead found himself in the duelist ring.

"No Zax don't do it!", shouted Nymph.

"Hey Cheatface! Why settle for the undercard when the main event is right here . You can slap around little elves all day or you can come try take the belt. Step right up if you think your prime time. IF YOU WANT TO BE THE MAN...YOU HAVE TO BEAT THE MAN", challenged Zax. The tiefling felt a little pride at his last taunt. It was an amalgamation of phrases he heard in the coliseum from verbally sparring gladiators but it seemed to have received quite the reaction from the crowd.

Normally Albin had no obligation to stop, but his target had seemingly fallen for his silent taunts. The knight turned to Lord Quick and nodded . The elf pondered the situation but then waved the duel to continue with the new challenger. The massive knight ignored his wounds and stomped towards his new target, one very small and orange tiefling.

"Wait a second big guy. Let's be sporting about this, if we fight in a hand to hand battle , you won't stand a chance . I'm a master duelist and you barely beat my student. In fact I would say if you didn't have your little bag of tricks and outside coaching you would have had your ass handed to you. On top of that you're injured as well. Champion Zax is nothing if not sporting. ", spoke Zax barely suppressing the terror and fear with in him.

"I'll tell you what. In my infinite generosity and sportsmanship, we'll duel in a method that gives you an advantage. ", continued the tiefling ,hoping to stall the knight before he reached him and turned him into orange paste.

The knight paused and seemed curious at this suggestion.

Zax silently breathed a sight of relief, he took a deep breath and shouted "MOUNTED COMBAT!"

This of course brought the crowd, and even Lord Quick to their feet with applause. Did Zax have a death wish? All knights even those from the Narwhal exceeded at mounted combat. Tieflings were generally too poor to afford mounts, so their skill was questionable or non existent. To give Albin such an advantage was crazy, suicidal, insane, and most importantly EXCITING ! The crowd loved it.

Lord Quick turned to the white faced Nymk, "Well ...I don't know what his skills on the horse are , but you have to give it to him, he's quite the showman!"


	20. Chapter 20

"Is she going to be OK?", asked Zax nervously.

The priest of the cult of Alphonso administered some salves to the motionless injured elf, then he turned to the tiefling and nodded. "She should be fine. She just needs some rest.", the young man said.

Zax had his doubts about clergy from the Cult of Alphonso. He had heard nothing but bad things about the cult from other clerics, but its churches were the fasting growing in Grom. Tax discounts and the Cults large coffers made worshiping them an ideal choice for the poor and rich alike. Zax wondered just how effective they really were though. Just because you were an emperor doesn't mean you can grant spells, does it?

Sensing he could do no more for Darwen, Zax made his way to the stables. He had about 20 more minutes to get ready for his duel. The tiefling had a plan and he only had a short time to implement it.

"Zax! Zax !", shouted a sultry feminine voice. Zax turned and saw it was Sharliss's maid, Nymph.

"Zax...They won't let you back out of this one, even if you surrender. Albin is going to either kill you or beat you with in an inch of your life.", the maid said quickly.

This was not news to Zax. He already knew this before he even challenged the Griffon Knight. "It's the other way around my dear. I'm going to kill Albin or beat him with an inch of his life. No one does that to my apprentice. I think I might flip a coin to decide my course of action. ", smirked the tiefling. Although he knew Nymph spoke the truth, there was no way he was going to act like a coward before a duelist groupie.

*SMACK*

Zax was stunned as the maid slapped him heavily across the cheek. He had been kicked a few times by unruly mounts and was amazed the young maid's blow was similarly powerful. "She must lift a lot of furniture when she sweeps. ", he thought.

"SNAP OUT OF IT YOU IDIOT! This isn't the time for your little delusions. Those are Griffon Knights, some of the most dangerous warriors in the world. They mean to do very bad things to you. If you fight they will destroy you. If you surrender they will not accept and crush you. If you try to run they will track you down for fleeing a duel. If you beg for mercy they will spit on you and still slay you ! ", shouted Nymk at the stunned tiefling.

Zax considered another witty comment but the still stinging slap was a reminder to do otherwise. "OK..so what shall I do?", the tiefling said while rubbing his sore cheek.

"Go to Lord Quick right now. Tell him that I'll take your place in the duel. He normally wouldn't accept this, but he will since its me. However...you will most likely lose your rank as not only Champion and knight commander but even your place amongst the Husky. You will be shunned from the council, and your reputation will be grounded into the dirt. However you will survive , you don't have to die for this meaningless battle.", pleaded the maid.

Zax considered her words, and thought Nymph must have been drinking too much. He had no doubt the Duelist groupie knew more about the combatants then he did, but there was no way she could fare better then him. He could only imagine the ridicule he would face if he told Lord Quick that the serving maid would take his place while he ran for the hills. The degenerate elf would probably accept the replacement too, Zax knew people like that who were into snuff matches at the coliseum and other vile and baseless acts.

"That's a really good plan Nymph...now run along back to your seat. This will all be over soon.", smiled the tiefling as he continued past the angry frustrated barbarian.

* * *

><p>Zax petted his dwarven war pony, Bucky Eight. He tried the names Eight Bucks and Buckviii on the sturdy beast and the pony responded to each equally. The tiefling decided maybe a mix of the two names would suffice for it. Besides, Bucky Eight made it sound like he had 7 more of the sturdy beasts somewhere or more morbidly 7 of them died before him.<p>

"This all depends on you little buddy. " , said Zax as he gave a liberal sprinkling of his special Dorf Root druid dust on an apple. He was running out of the stuff, and knew he would be unable to obtain more in Grom City. Getting dorf root was easy enough, but the special blend of herbs and spices employed by the druids was what really did the trick. Zax was an expert at handling the substance, it was what made his business so successful when all other carriages couldn't control their mounts. One dash was normally enough for a draft horse. Too much would knock the beast out. He recalled accidentally Henri over applied the "medicine" once and it sent one of his mounts into a coma. Luckily Zax was able to locate a druid, since he was a member of the Circle after all.

The pony devoured the apple happily. Zax noticed Bucky Eight didn't really care for apples, but the beast smelled and craved the drug on it. It won't be long now till he collapses and the tiefling could implement his clever plan. With his pony "stricken" he would demand a replacement mount for this duel. He knew that dwarven ponies were rare, dwarven war ponies were even rarer. They wouldn't be able to find one right away, and it would take maybe a day or two to get another. By that time, Zax would be long gone. He knew they would discover his flight, but he would be away from their clutches by then.

Zax chuckled and took pride in his clever plan. He would lose his deposit on the Villa, but that was fine. Before they started searching for him, he would find Halvor and get the last of his caravan money owed to him. The caravan was leaving soon and he would either hide out in it, or find another way back to Lower Lueders. Although Lord Quick was a Royal Adventurer there was no way they would be able to extradite him for something as simple as fleeing a duel. They had trouble enough just getting soldiers through the pass . Sure his reputation would be sullied, but only in Central Grom . Up north he would still be Zax the Hero. He knew he wouldn't get a chance to say goodbye to his companions he left behind, but they would understand. Zax wondered if he had time to write a note or something to Darwen before he left.

As Zax went over his escape plan , he noticed that Bucky Eight was still standing. The tiefling was puzzled. Zax was sure he used the right dosage. He sniffed his fingers to confirm the powder was sufficiently strong enough and the pungent spicy aroma confirmed it. Zax didn't want to kill the beast but knew he had to administer another apple. "Sorry Bucky Eight, its either you or me. ", he said while he fed the pony another drug laced apple.

After a few minutes , Zax could see the drug was taking affect on the animal, its eyes were shaking and it seemed tense and jumpy, but most importantly it was still standing. Zax started to panic . This time he cored an apple and poured the powder till it was overflowing from the fruit. He used most of his remaining powder but the tiefling knew it must be done.

The pony sniffed the apple , and for a second Zax thought it would sense something wrong and wouldn't eat it. Fortunately the pony happily devoured the new morsel. Zax waited and was relived to see the pony shake its head violently . It started to pace around rapidly and butted its head against the wall repeatedly , but the stubborn beast wouldn't fall down!

Zax wasn't sure what just happened , but he knew he was in trouble. He heard that dwarven ponies were tough little beasts, but he wouldn't have guessed it could ingest 3/4 of a bag of dorf root and still live. He was out of apples and wondered if he could mix the small amount of powder he had left in a cup and let the beast sip it.

"HEY THERE'S MY BOY! ", shouted a familiar youthful voice behind him. Zax froze, he could well imagine the punishments that would be delivered to him if they found out he was trying to sabotage his only mount. The tiefling knew that some people would get really mad at "animal cruelty", but Zax didn't know what the fuss was all about. He was a card carrying druid after all, they should defer these judgements to him.

Zax was relieved when he saw it was his friend Kirgi. The dwarf was outlandishly dressed in colorful silks and feathers, with a buxom woman in each arm. Zax knew this might be the last time he saw him and was glad to see him one more time.

"Hey ! Are you feeding Eight Bucks apples! You know you shouldn't do that. It might give him a tummy ache. ", said Kirgi angrily as he spied the apple core on the ground.

Zax tried to explain but the dwarf focused his attention on the pony instead. "Who's a good pony...who's daddy's favorite pony...yes you are...oh yes you are...", he said with the odd voice again. Zax was surprised at the range of voices Kirgi could emit from his vocal chords, he would have made a good ventriloquist or with his current employees a good pimp.

"Hey Zax, I tried to get your attention earlier but you were too busy hob nobbing with the big wigs in the hall. I want you to meet Misty and Star. They're professional entertainers! ", the dwarf smiled while pointing to his "employees".

"I'm sure they are. It's great seeing you Kirgi, but my duel is about to start. I have to get ready. ", the tiefling said hoping to drive these three away so he can administer the last of his drug to his mount.

"Yeah, about that. I know you're gonna win and all...but can you do me one teeneyy weeneyy favor?", asked the dwarf in a silly voice , that made his girls giggle with glee.

"Sure..Anything. ", said Zax who just wanted the dwarf to leave as soon as possible.

"Well, I made a few bets . These southern "gamblers" actually think they know a thing or two, and they believe you're gonna lose . Can you just drag out the match for a little while. Like make everyone think the other guy might have a chance. Let him get in a few shots or something. I'm pretty sure there will be even another round of betting after that, with even higher odds!", asked the dwarf tentatively.

"Sure no problem Kirgi. Off you go!", agreed Zax hastily as he knew his time was running out.

"Oh and one more thing. Can you sign this.", Kirgi said as he held out a document for Zax. Zax signed it reflexively as he just wanted the dwarf out of the way. He always signed autographs to his fans, and figured the dwarf just wanted to impress his girls.

"Sweet. You're a real pal. We're gonna be super rich! Don't worry buddy, I'll split it all evenly with Halvor and you. Hell even Petrus.", smiled the dwarf happily as he rolled up the document.

Zax paused. "Wait...what did I sign.", asked the tiefling suddenly regretting this encounter with the dwarf.

"Oh...I thought you read it. Since you're a businessman and all. Don't worry its nothing to worry about it. It's just a loan from the Dwarven Teamsters. The juice is 10% but don't worry , I'll pay it off before they charge one copper to us. ", smiled the dwarf.

"Eh...teamsters..what ...?", asked Zax confused as the dwarf walked away. The tiefling knew who the Dwarven Teamsters were. They were a barely legal criminal group in the guise of legitimate businessmen. They ran shipping from the dwarven realms as well as gambling schemes, prostitution rings, drugs, protection rackets and of course loan sharking.

"Yeah. Well this is the surest thing since Insector beat the hell out of Big Jim the gladiator a few years back in the coliseum. So naturally I want to place as big a bet as possible. As you can see I invested most of my funds already . ", shouted Kirgi while pointing to Misty and Star, " So I took a loan with the teamsters. This paper makes it all legit. I needed one other signature from the caravan to finalize it. You don't take a 25k loan without collateral it seems. Good luck on the fight! ", explained the dwarf proudly as he walked away with his "employees".

"Did I just cosign the caravan away? ", thought Zax . The tiefling wanted to pursue Kirgi, knock the dwarf out and take the paper, but he knew his spikey hair "friend" was probably just as tough as the knight he soon faced. Zax's plans suddenly became bleaker and bleaker. Even if Bucky Eight was knocked out , and he managed to delay the duel to escape, the caravan would be broke. He wouldn't be able to retrieve any funds from it. Even worse, although he might be able to escape Lord Quick's wrath, there was no way to escape the Teamsters. Those dwarves had their beards everywhere. They would hunt him down and make him pay . Zax knew they would strip him of all his possessions and most likely sell him as a slave if he was lucky. With royal adventurers , teamsters and most likely tax collectors after him the only option would be to hide out with the druids and live in the wild.

Zax looked at Bucky Eight as he considered that option. The pony's eyes were moving like a chameleon's and it breathed rapidly as it shuffled back and forth. "Well , at least I'm good with animals. ", sighed the tiefling.

* * *

><p>Zax stood defiantly in his saddle,the wind whipping his drenched cloak backwards heroically. His rapier, club and dragon golem were ready. Zax knew he was dead, but wanted to give his fans one last image of the heroic indomitable Tiefling before he was ground into dust.<p>

Despite his efforts, Bucky Eight was still standing , although he was a bit wobbly. There was no sign of his opponent and the tiefling held out a brief hope that his reputation had frightened Cheatface enough so he would forfeit. Even if Cheatface did show up, Zax still had another plan. Although there was no way he could escape before the duel, during the duel was a different matter. Zax had soaked his cloak lightly in oil, and hoped to catch it on fire during the match. The smoke should be enough of a distraction to run away. It wouldn't be a clean escape, but it would give him a head start. The guards were not going to be expecting the Hero Zax to flee. Even if Bucky Eight was a bit addled he was sure the swift pony would be able to maneuver the streets and alleys better then a large war horse. The fact that Sir Cheatface was almost seven foot tall also gave the Tiefling some hope . Someone that big and in plate armor is bound to weigh his mount down. Zax would forget the caravan and head straight to the north gate, his reputation there was still good so he should be able to impress himself past the guards , and then freedom into the wilderness. The life of an animal loving druid awaited him.

A large shadow passed over Zax . The tiefling looked up and despaired. His clever plan literally went up in smoke, before he actually set it on fire.

A massive grey winged beast flew over head. It was part lion part eagle Zax observed. It was as big as his wagon and was terrifying to behold. The mighty monster was armored in plate barding but seemed unencumbered by the weight. Sir Albin rode atop it, a great bow in hand. The mighty beast flapped its wings and lowered its rear claws and seemed to hover in place , a mere 100 foot paces from Zax.

"Oh...I guess that's why they're called the Order of the Griffon.", thought Zax as he wanted to face palm himself.

Lord Quick saw that the two combatants were finally present, but paused and eyed Albin and his mount suspiciously. "More stone skin scrolls? ", whispered the elf loudly over the battle ground.

A nod from Albin confirmed this, and Lord Quick sighed. "Very well...you Griffon knights bore me, after this duel I'm going to personally challenge anyone who uses scrolls, just on principal . Let's get this over with I suppose. "

The griffon flapped its wings and flew high in the air. Zax drew his rapier and readied for the monster's charge. He wasn't sure if his tiny blade could even hurt the monster, but he was out of options at this point. He looked around and wondered if the mystery sniper would save him, but no flight of arrows appeared.

"Oh great Dragon's flame. Heed my call. Lend me your power so I can smite my foes !", whispered Zax to the long sword at his side. He tried to draw it but to no avail. The tiefling didn't expect such a cheesy plea to work, but he had to try anyways.

"One, two! One, two! and through and through . Dragon's Flame went snicker-snack!"

"Dragon's Flame give me sight beyond sight ?"

"By the power of GromSkull?", he continued, but the sword still remained inert.

A "whissh" sound caught the tiefling's sensitive ears, and his heart jumped. The sniper ! The sniper was here after all. He had a chance. Unfortunately a white feathered arrow landed a few feet from him and his mount.

"Wait...the sniper uses pitch black arrows. And that wasn't even close to the griffon.", wondered Zax at the sniper's suddenly poor aim. Maybe his hypothesis of a team of snipers was true, and he had the one with poor aim guarding him today. It wasn't much but it was better then nothing the tiefling thought.

"Thunk"

Zax's eyes grew wide as an arrow landed meatily into Bucky Eight's unarmored neck. The pony wobbled on its feet , then slumped slowly to the ground. Zax looked up , and realized that Cheatface wasn't going to charge at all. The knight was going to shoot arrows at him from his griffon all day.

"BOOOOOOO", roared the crowd as they thought it was grossly unfair. Not only did the knight and his mount have a massive size advantage, but he had a maneuver and range advantage too. The fact he was using stone skin "scrolls" just drove them into a bigger frenzy.

Zax stared at his pony, all thoughts of running evaporated. Zax waved his fist angrily at the knight as another arrow streaked down and barely missed him. The tiefling knew there was nowhere to run, and considered hiding under the pony's body . That would just delay the inevitable he thought. He was sure Cheatface had more tricks up his sleeve, maybe cluster bombs , alchemist fire, or giant rocks to drop on him.

"GASSSPPP", whispered the crowd suddenly surprised . Zax looked to see what caused the commotion, then noticed it was Bucky Eight. The durable pony had slowly gotten back up on its feet and started walking lazily forwards.

Renewed hope filled Zax. He urged the pony forward and it began galloping in a slow trot. Two more arrows struck the beast in the side, but the pony just shuddered and continued unfazed from its wounds.

* * *

><p>"The duel is not up to your expectations?", asked Antoine to Lord Quick.<p>

" The pony is pretty cool, thats about it. Albin is just playing with him. I hate that. His aim isn't that good perched up like that, but he could have shot the boy a few times by now. I was hoping for Nymk to arrange a sparring session with this Zax fellow for me later but he's fighting like an amateur . He's not what I had expected.", the elf whispered while drinking his wine.

The gnome nodded and turned to the barbarian swords woman.

"I heard you offered to replace the champion in this duel, but he refused. I was hoping he wouldn't. As you know I would have replaced Albin in turn. ", the gnome said to Nymk.

Nymk did not respond, but smiled slyly at the gnome. No fear in her eyes.

"Now that , would be an exciting match !", answered Lord Quick.

* * *

><p>"Faster , faster ! ", pleaded Zax as he coaxed the slowly trotting pony. Another arrow imbedded itself in the pony's rump , but it did not seem to have any affect on the bloodied but sturdy beast's speed.<p>

Zax knew he couldn't evade Cheatface at this pace. He set his skin burning hot and touched the pony's rump. His hand made a sickening sizzling noise , but the pony did not seem to react. Zax frowned, hoping that a fiery brand would jolt the pony, but sadly it had no effect. Suddenly the pony reared up and started spinning in circles. The tiefling barely held on, and thought at first the beast must have had drug delayed reactions. A trail of smoke suddenly dispelled his thought. He forgot he had a oil soaked cloak, and as he set his body to scorching levels he had involuntarily set his cloak on fire. The burning tiefling and maddened pony were obscured from the crowd, but Zax could still see the Griffon hovering lazily over head.

* * *

><p>"A clever smoke screen but that won't last long. ", quipped Lord Quick as he motioned for a servant to refill his wine.<p>

Nymk thought it was clever as well. It would buy Zax a little time, but he wondered if he was able to use it effectively.

* * *

><p>Zax tried to calm the pony but it had "bucked " him off in its rage. The tiefling landed hard on the ground, but he swiftly recovered and was back on his feet. With the burning tiefling and his fiery cloak dislodged Bucky Eight calmed down and seemed to be rocking back and forth in the smoke. Zax expected the beast to start coughing from the smoke but it didn't seem to affect it. Zax himself wasn't immune to smoke, but he was very tolerant of its effects. His vision wasn't perfect but he could still make out the Griffon and its rider patiently waiting over head. Zax knew he needed a better distraction or at least a way to strike back at his attacker. He aimed his dragon golem carefully and fired at the monster above him.<p>

*BANNGG*

Zax grumbled as he knew he missed. Suddenly he heard a thundering sound behind him, the tiefling turned and was knocked to the ground by a very angry pony. Zax knew most animals fled when he fired his dragon golem, but had no idea that some attacked. The tiefling recalled the pony didn't panic last time he fired his weapon so close, and again attributed the behavior to the drugs. Eight Bucks bit Zax as he flailed on the ground and started to stomp him into the dirt. A panicked Zax rolled away just in time but his cloak was torn from him . The maddened pony continued to stomp the flaming cloak despite the burns it was causing its hooves.

Zax scrambled to his feet and backed away from the angry creature. Through the smoke, Zax noticed then the griffon seemed more agitated as it began hovering erratically.

* * *

><p>"What's going on? Why's Albin's mount acting like that. ", asked Lord Quick.<p>

Antoine shrugged as he watched the battle. From his expression , Lord Quick could tell he was confused as well.

Nymk smiled knowingly at the battle. She was raised in the tribes of Diamond Khan after all. She wasn't sure if Zax actually knew what he was doing or was just insanely lucky.

"Oh...I know that look. You know what's going on. Tell me ! Tell me! ", pleaded the elf playfully at the barbarian.

"My dear Lord Quick. I will not divulge this information with Antoine sitting here, everyone knows he would tell everyone our little secret at the first opportunity . You saw how quickly he saw through the bladesinger's tactics and just had to let everyone else know how to counter her.", smiled the swords woman icily at the irritated gnome.

"Oh please...please...", continued the elf.

"Oh ...just for you I guess.", Nymk smiled and perched herself next to the elf's ear.

To his credit, Antoine did not attempt to eavesdrop. He would not lower himself to play this childish game. He suspected the Emerald Arbiter had no actual idea what was going on and just wanted to play with his head. The strange whispery laughter that erupted from Lord Quick however told him that was not the case.

Nymk smiled. As horse warriors her tribe had to contend with griffons constantly. Griffons craved horse flesh especially cooking horse flesh. The aroma of a cooked horse would bring griffons from miles around. It was a tactic used by her people with great success to hunt the aerial monsters. The bait used was normally a burning dead horse though, the barbarian never thought someone would cook a live horse or pony to bait a griffon.

* * *

><p>"First I'm in a duel I didn't even want to be. Then I can't drug my pony. After that I fight an opponent who doesn't even give me a chance to fight back. Now even my pony wants a piece of me. What can go wrong now!", shouted the tiefling .<p>

"AAWWWHHHHH!", came a scream overhead. Zax looked up and saw Cheatface was plummeting downwards to the ground. Did he lose control of his mount? Zax backed up and saw the the knight smash into the ground with a thunderous slam. Before he could react, suddenly the massive grey skinned griffon landed in front of him. Its claws raked Zax and it scored 3 deep wounds on his arm.

"OWWW!", screamed Zax. It was the most painful thing that he ever experienced. He felt muscle and flesh torn from his arm by the monster's attack. Zax backed up, and a chill ran down his spine. Sir Cheatface should by all rights be dead, but the knight was slowly making his way off the ground.

The griffon struck again, but Zax noticed his aim was clearly off. The smoke was obscuring its vision more then his. Unfortunately the smoke was beginning to clear as well, as the pony had stomped most of his cloak into a fine mass of threads.

Zax knew he had to make his move. He wouldn't get another chance. He ran through the cover of the smoke away from the feathered monster and struck Albin mightily in the head with his club.

* * *

><p>*CLANGG*<p>

"What's going on! Curse this smoke! ", complained Lord Quick bitterly.

"The tiefling just struck Albin in the head with his club.", replied Antoine impassively.

"Now the knight is getting out his mace, looks like he's backing out of the smoke. The griffon seems to be closing in on Zax. ", continued Nymk as she observed the action through the obscurement.

"Wait...how are you two seeing all this?", demanded the elf.

"Its just smoke.", shrugged the pair.

* * *

><p>Zax saw the knight was retreating. His blow connected solidly , but the big knight shrugged it off and was in a defensive posture. Zax always thought knights were the charge first ask questions later type. These griffon knights were definitely more defense orientated. Shooting arrows from afar, using shields, and fighting defensively. That was something Zax would do , not a big hulking knight. Zax wondered if the snow dog champion thing didn't work out , if he was able to sign up with these guys.<p>

Zax pressed his attack while the knight was still in the smoke, but dived away at the last moment when a monstrous beak struck out from the smoke. The tiefling knew he was in trouble now. Either opponent could easily tear him apart in melee, but now he was sandwiched by both. Zax wondered if he could time their blows and duck underneath them just in time and watch the pair strike each other, but knew that was something only bards made up. The tiefling had no choice but to press his attack against the knight and hope for a lucky strike.

As Zax skittered away from the griffon, the beast suddenly toppled to the ground. The smoke was clearing but it was still confusing what he was seeing. All Zax could make out was claws, hooves, feathers, hair, beak, and pony teeth in a hellacious brawl. Ear rending shrieks and thunderous whinnies came from the fierce brawl as the two fierce mounts kicked , clawed, and bit each other.

* * *

><p>The smoke cleared, and Lord Quick appeared stunned at the vision before him.<p>

"Well ...that's something you don't see everyday.", he said numbly. Antoine and Nymk both nodded in agreement.

* * *

><p>Zax ignored the chaotic brawl behind him and focused on his opponent. Sir Cheatface fell about a hundred feet and took a two handed club whack to the head, but the big knight still seemed ready for more. The knight limped a bit and his movements were stiff despite the fact that Zax saw patches of grey still on him. Zax lunged with his rapier , but the knight easily deflected it with his shield. The knight swung back with his mace but the tiefling managed to jump back barely in time.<p>

Zax got a feel for the range of his opponent from the initial exchange and remembered Darwen's teachings. Stay out of his range, circle towards his shield, take swift jabs and lunges to wear him down. Although Zax's lunges and jabs where nowhere near as fluid or long as his mentor's the tiefling thought it was a workable plan.

Zax took an initial jab as he circled, but it was too short and the knight batted it away easily. The tiefling knew he would have to get closer to get past his shield , which meant coming with in range of the heavy mace. The tiefling wondered how Darwen made it look so easy earlier. Zax tried again with a more risky lunge and was rewarded with a grunt from the knight. The tiefling wasn't sure where he hit, but a splash of red covered his rapier . Zax was overjoyed when he realized the stone skin spell had finally been worn from the knight. Before he could strike again, the knight charged. Zax's finely tuned survival instincts took over and he managed to strike the knight squarely in the leg. Unfortunately Albin's armor turned aside his blow easily. Zax knew that was bad, if his opponent can attack without fear of his own attacks then he would soon be dead. Also the griffon would probably be finish with Bucky soon and would once again join the fray.

Zax scrambled back out of the knight's reach. The swift tiefling was easily able to evade the heavily armored knight. He began circling again waiting for his opportunity. The pair paced around till the knight stepped forward again. The tiefling tried a quick strike again, but Albin smashed his mace towards the rapier. Zax recalled this maneuver earlier against Darwen but twisted his blade away in time.

The big knight attempted the move again, but Zax simply retreated . The tiefling knew he had to counter this move and decided to try something unexpected. As the knight tried a third time to press his attack, Zax threw his club at the knight's feet. The blow struck the armor, but bounced off harmlessly. This however caused the knight to lose some of his footing which allowed the tiefling to duck under the mace and strike his rapier into the Knight's side. The blade found an opening in the plate armor, and sank through the mail. Zax attempted to withdraw the blade, but the knight grasped the imbedded sword instead. He smashed his shield into the tiefling and struck him hard in the arm.

Zax stumbled back , he felt something broken in his left arm from the forceful blow. He turned and watched the heavily injured knight withdraw the rapier from him and smash it into the ground . His beautiful rapier, he bought on sale, with a coupon no less, shattered from the blow. Albin was injured profusely now, Zax was injured as well but was now disarmed and ...helpless.

The knight advanced meancingly. A bit slower, but steadily towards the tiefling. Zax could run, but he knew the knight would get out his bow and shoot him again. He wished he carried extra knives or something. He remembered he had swords and junk in his satchel but it would take too long to dig them out. As the knight readied another swing, Zax suddenly remembered he wasn't weaponless at all.

The tiefling grabbed Dragon's flame and the battle seemed to stop. Everyone watching except a certain barbarian maid stopped and gasped at the weapon suddenly appeared . Some were amazed at the near instant materialization of the weapon ..others more astute eyes were amazed at the weapon itself.

The knight stopped , the sudden appearance of the blade surprised him, and he hesitated to attack.

"Oh , now you're gonna get it. This is when I start TCB. So get ready for some PBT Cheatface! ", shouted Zax.

Albin paused confused.

"Oh you know Taking Care of Business...Pay back time ...No..never heard of it? Ahh well, get ready to die !", explained Zax.

Zax attempted to draw the blade with the best flourish his injured frame could muster. Sadly the blade remained in its blade. Zax saw the knight and tried to draw it again, but again no luck. The tiefling had his own theories on when he could draw it, mainly if his life was in grave danger. He thought for sure it would come out now, but sadly it was not the case. Zax looked upwards at his impending doom.

* * *

><p>"Dragon's Flame...", uttered Antoine in surprise.<p>

"I can see that...but why are they both still fooling around?",huffed Lord Quick.

Nymk had her own theories but watched silently .

* * *

><p>The knight's mace crashed down on Zax. Even though he couldn't draw the weapon, he instinctively brought the weapon and its scabbard up to block. Zax was surprised at how even sheathed, the weapon seemed so light and balanced. The mace was blocked but the blow sent a shock through Zax's uninjured arm. The tiefling and knight both half expected the scabbard to explode revealing the weapon but no such event occurred. As the knight gaped the tiefling scrambled backwards once again.<p>

Zax knew his back of tricks was out. All he had was a sheathed sword. He could use it as a big club he guessed, but Cheatface had an even bigger club. If he kept this exchange up , he was definitely going to lose, he had to do something fast. Suddenly he remembered something from his sparring session a few days ago. It was a crazy thing to try, but Zax had no other option. If he was going to go down, at least he'll go down with style.

Zax straightened and squared himself to his opponent.

"Come...my blade awaits. ", sneered Zax in the loudest voice he could muster. The dueling grounds fell quiet as everyone knew the battle would be settled soon.

Albin hesitated for a moment at the suddenly confident tiefling. Zax and the knight exchanged glares and the Albin saw that it was all a ruse. He charged as the tiefling attempted to duck and slash again . The tieflings footing gave and he stumbled . Albin saw his opportunity and pressed in for the kill. As soon as he began his attack he knew he over extended himself and fell for the tiefling's trap. Zax revealed his feint and rolled forwards with his sheathed sword in hand. The scabbard struck Albin in his lightly armored throat. The tiefling's scabbard smashed heavily into him as he stumbled backwards both from pain and surprise. Before he could recover, Zax swung the scabbard blade like a club to the side of the head . Albin only saw stars as he came crashing into the ground.

Zax stood above his fallen foe. He couldn't believe it worked. He won. He was the greatest warrior ever! Songs would be sung about him this day! Statues carved! Long LIVE ZAX!

A chill ran down his spine as something nudged his side. Zax stood frozen , but breathed a sigh of relief as a blood covered pony gently nudged the near empty dorf root pouch at his side.

* * *

><p>"The fight itself was rather meaningless and pointless, but there was some exciting points. That last feint, riposte combination was quite something. I have to get Champion Zax to show me that sometimes. I could only guess the skill involved with the timing, complexity and finesse that elegant maneuver requires.", whispered Lord Quick calmly. The thrill of the duel had left him and he seemed rather complacent about the whole affair.<p>

"Hildraxel's gambit...", spoke Antoine in awe.

"Really? That boy just executed Hildraxel's gambit? Amazing! Where did he learn that move!", demanded Lord Quick his interest suddenly renewed.

"A slip of a girl taught him.",grinned Nymk.

* * *

><p>The crowds quickly surrounded Zax. Several guards waved them off as the clerics attended the wounded. Zax playing the role of modest hero once again pointed to the medics to attend Cheatface first. The man was injured but the final blow stunned him more then hurt him. Zax could have finished him off right there, but he knew the man had friends and there was no need to anger them more then he already had.<p>

"That will teach that brute Sir Cheatface to lay a hand on my apprentice.", said Zax triumphantly. "He put up a struggle, but I was just testing him to see if he worthy of my blade. As you can all see, I easily beat him without even drawing my sword. I tried to keep things even, but I can only handicap myself so much you know. "

"RAAAAAWWRRRR! ", cried Albin as he threw the clerics off him

"My name is Sir ALBIN not CHEATFACE ! I was just playing with you before because they told me to . They said to humiliate you before breaking you. They told me they needed a weak champion, but I've had enough of you!", roared the knight as he charged Zax with his mace. Nobles and guards alike were thrown aside or trampled underfoot as Albin rushed Zax.

Zax knew he was a dead man. He sensed the killing intent of his foe. It was much different then before. His charade had finally come to an end.

Before Albin could strike, a fiery blade plunged into the man's gut. The knight's eyes grew wide in surprise then in pain. The blade's flames turned dark as it flared inside the man's wound. The flames briefly engulfed Albin. Zax froze as the fire seemed to consume the man both physically and spiritually. The powerful warrior gave a pathetic and frightening howl as he fell to the ground a withered husk.

"Wow that was amazing...", thought Zax calmly. Then he realized he was holding the blade that slew Albin. With a shaking hand he sheathed the sword before panic over took him. Before he could run shrieking back to his villa, the crowd overwhelmed the guards and mobbed the terrified tiefling.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick and Antoine remained silent at the sight they witnessed. They sat motionless for a whole minute pondering the spectacle they beheld.<p>

"The gnomish embassy regrets to inform you we are withdrawing from Grom City . Temporarily of course. ", said Antoine as he took his leave.

Lord Quick waved him away .

Nymk walked up to the elf and gently massaged Lord Quick's shoulders. " So ...are you still interested in me arranging a duel for you two."

* * *

><p>Zax breathed a sigh of relief as he escaped the crowds. In his minds eye he thought he would be parading around the city on his battered, drug fueled pony , or chasing Kirgi down for making a deal with the Dwarven Teamsters. Even lording his victory in the Royal court over Lord Quick and the other stuck up aristocrats crossed his mind. However he found himself back at the small quiet shrine of Alphonso in the palace.<p>

"I heard you won.", said Darwen with a weary smile from her bed.

Zax considered boasting like had for the last hour, but he simply smiled in return. The sight of the now grey hair elf awake and conscious seemed more important to him at that moment.

Darwen noticed his gaze, and reached for a yellow shock of hair at her side. "The cleric was surprised when my hair came off. It was kind of funny.", chuckled the elf.

"Sorry I stole the light from your big moment. Trust me , I didn't realize that would happen. I thought ...I was a a dead man. " , admitted the tiefling.

"That's OK. I'm not cut out for dueling I guess. I need better gear if I'm even going to consider doing this. The wigs nice and all, but that doesn't help against stone skins and magic maces. ", contemplated the elf with a sigh.

"We'll get you something good. Soon as you're up and about. Kirgi...made some questionable investments that had some unexpected dividends.", Zax said slowly. The pair stared at each other for awhile before Zax stood up .

"I'll let you rest up. Seems like the level of healing service around here depends on who you know. I'll ask Lord Quick to send someone else to attend to you.", Zax said apologetically. The tiefling turned and walked to the door.

"Zax...Thank you. Thank you for sticking up for me. I was barely conscious but I recalled you stepping up to that griffon knight. You didn't have to do that. ", the elf said as the tiefling reached the door.

"I couldn't let that ogre harm my apprentice...the man deserved a proper thras...", began Zax but his voice trailed. He wanted to impress her with his heroic drivel but it sounded wrong when speaking to her that way. "Sorry, I'm not sure why I jumped in. I couldn't stand seeing him hurt you like that. ", he admitted more honestly.

Darwen smiled at his admission and waved him towards her.

The tiefling complied and sat next to the battered elf.

"Zax..I think I'm sick.", she said as she brushed his hair to the side.

"Was his mace poisoned? Did he use some disease attack? Is this place infected?", stammered the surprised and worried tiefling.

Darwen grabbed Zax and slowly drew him in for a long kiss and embrace. "I think I have the Abyssal fever. ", she whispered as Zax climbed into her bed.


	21. Chapter 21

Lord Felwind sat grimly on the Talon Throne.

So many matters weighed heavily on his mind. Would he have enough votes to secure the Title of Grand Champion during the next assembly? If he did, would he be able to muster the forces necessary to battle the giants? Could he trust his gnomish "allies"?

The aged Champion of the Griffon sighed and knew that he had to deal with one thing at a time. Too many immediate schemes were trivial in the grand plan. Like the great hunting beast that his order was named for, he had to carefully select his targets. The weakest first and then slowly whittle the herd.

Felwind considered the subject of the Title of Grand Champion. It was something that was always in reach but he always failed to obtain it. The Eastern orders of "milk drinkers" had always denied him his destiny and he was sure to make them pay. All this talk about unity and a northern nation was just diplomat's words. Felwind craved power.

The Assembly was still in favor of the the current Grand Champion. He even suspected his Western Allies approval of the man's diplomacy and strategy. The Snow Lion were too easily swayed by concepts of honor and bravery , while the Mammoth only respected brute strength. Both traits his rival had plenty of. The other Eastern Lackeys would vote like the sheep they were. The young Hero of the Boar would vote like her predecessor Zalthar did. Felwind secretly mocked the boar, such a powerful Order but with so little political aspirations. The Narwhal's Champion was a pariah amongst champions. A wizardess of some sort. Although there had been precedent for spell casters amongst the Great Orders, for one to name a wizard as champion was scandalous. Most of Champions rejected her nomination including Felwind. The griffon lord however conceded that Erland's acceptance of her was a crafty move since it also secured her votes in the Assembly.

There were other factors to consider though. The Silver Champion and the host of minor orders he represented could be easily brought into his favor. The interm Champion Oswald was stepping down at the next assembly, and Felwind knew one of his supporters could easily be put in place. There was also talk of the Ice elves returning. Although they had no presence for the past century or more in the assembly they were given votes to ensure peace by the ancient knights. Felwind at first cheered at news of their destruction by the hated Sir Hildraxel and now cheered again at their return. The griffon lord knew he could sway them through either the application of gifts or pressure. The current Warmaster would be the hardest to sway. It's said he was on good terms with Boar, but he also seemed to have strong ties with the accursed "milk drinking " country of Grom. Although the Grommers were traditionally the Knight's Allies they were not welcomed in the north. If the Warmaster supported Erland it would be an easy task to call his reputation and the reputation of the one that he supports into question.

Lord Felwind knew that the non committed votes could still fall either way. Nothing was certain yet. So he sat on his throne awaiting word from his agents. The Griffon Lord chuckled that Grand Champion Erland had recently suggested that the Orders institute a "soft" diplomatic approach when dealing with other countries. His system of Arbiters was a crude copy of his own secretive Windtalons that was in place before his father was killed by Zalthar the Slayer. His Talons had been secretly coercing, through bribes or force, the minor champions and Electors . Even some of the Elector knights of the Great Orders might come under his sway, but Felwind knew that he shouldn't move against them yet. To move too fast was to risk being discovered. Long have the other orders suspect his involvement in assassinations and disappearances of knights, but to have no proof would be heresy. A suitable enough slight for the Griffon lord to challenge to a duel.

"Great Hunting Bird! May your keen eyes spot all your enemies and the choicest prey. ", addressed a page to the scheming lord.

Felwind accepted the traditional greeting and waved the young knight to continue.

"The Arbiter of Ice has returned with news from the south.", continued the man.

Felwind nodded. Stormfeather ,the Arbiter of Ice and his son had finally returned. Although he did not expect much from Stormfeather , he was his most competent son. He would hear him out at least.

"Great Hunting Bird! May your keen eyes spot all your enemies and the choicest prey. ", addressed the handsome knight as he entered the Griffon Lord's chambers. He was a solidly built man with long braided black hair.

" Don't you get tired of that? Like I mean Great Hunting Bird, sounds kind of lame. You should be called something more mysterious or cryptic , like He who Slays from afar, or Dances with Griffons. ", the knight added.

"It is tradition. Tradition has served us well. You should well remember that. One day you or one your siblings shall be the Great Hunting Bird. ", the aged Champion sighed. Although Stormfeather's attitude had much to be desired, the champion relented that he was also the most useful of his children . His oldest son Iceclaw was too focused on combat, while middle daughter Lionsong seemed uninterested in the affairs of the Order.

"Anyways. Everything is going according to plan in the the country of the dreaded Milk Drinkers, Grom. The gnomes have pledged their support, but I still don't fully trust them. Once their agenda is accomplished I doubt our association will be beneficial. However for the time being they need us more then we need them, so we can act all nice like to Antoine and ...Gary..",explained Stormfeather with a shudder.

Felwind nodded, he detested the little creatures. Unlike the militant and tolerable halflings , gnomes were decietful creatures of magic. He loathed to deal with them, but for now it served his purpose.

"We have been removing any Electors we can find in the south as well. The Silver Arbiter is pretty swamped and honeyed words have convinced him that we mean to help him with his task. So far we've slain Elector Knights of the Bat, Caribou , and Fox. We even slew the Champion of the Husky but unfortunately Ivanovic chose a replacement already.", continued Stormfeather.

"Ah our old foe Vasa removed. Excellent! But a replacement already ? By what right ! Only the assembly can do that.", demanded Felwind.

"Calm down pops. Calm down. I meant to say Interim Champion. I sent someone to test him, but he has proven...resouceful. He shouldn't be a problem though. He's a tiefling.", smiled the Griffon Prince.

Felwind nodded , " Ah a miserable abomination . Yes I see. He would never meet the Champions approval even if he had support from Ivanovic . Well done my son."

Stormfeather shrugged, "I would have preferred to eliminate him to tie loose ends, but we will refrain from direct conflict with him for now. I don't think the Husky should be too much of a problem though. There's less then a dozen left I think."

"A lesson to you my son. Bravery is a good thing, but too much of it can be deadly.", said the Griffon Lord solemnly recalling the Husky's heroics in the Great Battle with the horde.

Stormfeather rolled his eyes. He found it amusing when his father rationalized cowardice in battle .

"ERr right..Anyways, before I chug a few drinks with Iceclaw or go tease Lionsong, you should see this.", said the Griffon prince while handing to his father a light portfolio.

Felwind was curious and began scanning the pictures and documents inside. "This creature...its hideous. ", said the Griffon Champion as he stared at the crude caricature on a poster.

"Well its not that bad, the artist took some liberties. It is however as dangerous as it looks, it bears the blood of the Great Enemy in it. However more importantly if we had this creature in our possession we can pretty much wrap up that Assembly vote for you pops. It has ties with the Crab, the Snow elves, and most importantly the Warmaster. I know you don't think much of the Warmaster, but securing his votes is a guaranteed 3 or 4 more from some of the other non affiliated Electors and Minor Orders. If you back off your smear campaign you can easily double that. ", smiled Stormfeather.

"One more thing. It's well guarded. It has surrounded itself with ...adventurers possessing mild to dangerous power. Also it associates itself with the fore mentioned Champion of the Husky , and more importantly the Emerald Arbiter, the lovely and elusive Lady Nymakakku. ", continued the Griffon Prince. The young knight seemed lost in a pleasant thought when he mentioned Nymk's name.

Felwind considered this. Adventurer's were always a wild card. They could flee like lemmings or fight like cornered wolves. The Husky Champion was also an unknown but he was chosen by Ivanovic, one of the few knights outside his order that Felwind respected. The Emerald Arbiter would be a problem though. Even before she was appointed to her post by Erland, she was a Knight of Winter , and had a semi legendary status amongst the orders. If not for her Ethengar heritage she might have become Silver Champion or been appointed a Knight Commander of one of the Orders. Her skill with the bow rivaled that of his best knights. The Griffon lord pondered his options carefully.

"We need to secure this...creature immediately. Send word to our men hidden in the Order of the Purple Griffon immediately for this ...things capture. We will need to send a company at least . Activate our mercenary contracts in that area as well. We will initiate operation Smoke during the retrieval. Also tell your brother Iceclaw that he will join in the raid. He needs the practice. ", ordered the Griffon Lord.

"An entire company of knights? Our secret mercenary contracts? Operation Smoke? Won't that tip our hand? If we do this, there wil be no turning back you know.", inquired the Arbiter of Ice.

Felwind nodded, "Now is not the time to be timid. We will strike quickly in one bold stroke. "

" This action seems like over kill, but you're the Great Hunting Bird afterall. I'll make it so "future Grand Champion" . ", chuckled Stormfeather.

"Oh and I'll tell Clawey right away. He is getting kind of flabby.", added the knight.

Felwind smiled, not at his son's jest but at the opportunity that had presented itself. This was better then he had hoped. He could seized the Assembly in one grand "swoop" so to speak. As the griffon lord thought it out, he wondered if Stormfeather's information seemed too good to be true.

" This...abomination has so much pull with the Crab, the Elves , and the Warmaster ? It's hard to believe. ", asked a doubting Felwind.

"Yeah ...you know ...these "Milk Drinkers" are kind of soft. They value family and friends and other crap like that. Not like us. I'd leave you in a second on the battlefield if my life depended on it. ", smiled Icefeather in a joking tone.

The Griffon lord saw none of his humor though. He only knew that he would do the same to him as well . "That's my boy!", smiled Felwind with respect for his son.

Even with the fastest griffon it would take Stormfeather almost a few days to reach Grom City. Felwind wondered what foul machinations this creature would have in store for his son during that time. Regardless , this half breed abomination creature would be in his dungeons , serving as hostage to further his political aims soon.

"Not bad for a half breed abomination , aren't I? It does match my new hair I think.", smiled Sharliss as she brushed her dark hair while she twirled before the mirror in her newly fitted full body bodice. Initially she resented her new black hair but she had grown accustomed to it. She decided to change color to help blend in with the other students of the Academy of Magic. Also her recent growth spurt left her wardrobe too short and tight, and she was happy to finally get a chance to replace her clothing from the multitude of tailors in Grom city.

"You look lovely my lady. ", stammered Lilithy unsure of the exact etiquette in her new role.

Sharliss paused and frowned, "No need to be so formal Lily. We're both tieflings here. Sharliss or Hush is fine when you are addressing me. ", the girl smiled.

Lilithy nodded, but still felt in awe of the Greater Tiefling or "Half fiend" that had "hired" her. The bird faced tiefling didn't believe in luck or good fortune, a lifetime of hardships and oppression had instilled that in her, however, a chance encounter with Zahax and her new patron Lady Sharliss had made her re think those concepts. Ever since they met at the Freedom Anarchy Rebellion Tiefling rally , the two had become fast friends , in spite of their economic and social differences . The formerly blue haired halffiend was fascinated by Lilithy's knowledge of their race and was even more surprised that she could perform arcane magic. She was so impressed that she snuck Lilithy into the academy under the guise of a maid so she could study the tomes there. She was even allowed to attend classes in the role of taking notes for her mistress. She could tell the other students resented a tiefling in their midst but the social stigma was a small price to pay for the opportunity that had presented itself . It was more then the bird faced young girl could hope for. Long had she wished to study the tomes of the University but due to her economic and social bondage she was unable to. Lilithy didn't know why Sharliss had showed her such kindness but felt indebted to her because of it.

"What do you think Hal? About the hair and the dress. ", asked Sharliss seeking more compliments and attention.

"Its looks lovely. ", the knight said with an easy smile.

"Sar ? Isula? ... ", she continued to ask but recieved no reply. "Where did those two run off to?", she wondered.

"They're outside...its the ...gnome again...", stammered Lilithy.

"It's in the bushes. Unless its using magic we can corner it this time. ", Isula spoke calmly .

Sarin was still shocked at how fast the miniature giant could master the common tongue. The half elf nodded and started stalking to the other side of the bush. The paladin had spied this gnome for the last week , and knew it was up to no good. Why was it spying on them? Who was it working for? These and other questions grated on the half elf.

"RAAAWRRR",cried Isula when Sarin got into position and threw the bladed staff she called a spear into the bush. It was a diversionary tactic meant to flush out her prey towards Sarin, but only silence greeted them.

"It must have used magic...that will make him hard to catch. ", noted a disappointed Sarin as he examined the bush.

"That or he heard you sneak around him, Walrus man. ", chuckled the giantess at their failed attempt to capture the creature.

Sarin ignored the comment, and continue to examine the bush. "Well he was here at least. There's tracks. At least we weren't imagining things. ", sighed the paladin.

The giant nodded seemingly bored of the game they played. Sarin agreed. It was just a diversion for the endless clothing stores they were visiting this morning. For the past week Sarin, Isula and sometimes Freiki would wander and explore the city. The Academy did not allow those that didn't have some skill with arcane magic to attend it. That suited Sarin fine as it gave him time away from his duties, he was confident that the academy's protective spells would keep Sharliss safe. The paladin suspected Isula was able to enter but the giant did not seem keen to enter the boring university. The only thing that seemed unusual was that both Sarin and Isula spotted a gnome spying on them on a couple of occasions. The creature was most likely curious at the odd troupe he observed but Sarin didn't like to take chances. Although they had been unable to trap it that did not stop them from enjoying the city. Today however was different , it was the weekend and his charge wanted to do a million things it seems. Buy new clothes, hang out with her ...suitor... , make party arrangements, restock the wagon. It wasn't unusual for Sharliss to behave like this , but It was days like this that really wore on the paladin.

"Sarin! Isula! Come...the next store awaits! ", said the now dark haired tiefling with Lilithy and Halvor in tow. The paladin chuckled as the big knight struggled with a dozen brightly colored parcels and bags in tow.

Sarin could tell despite Halvor's obvious attraction and devotion to Sharliss ,the knight was enjoying the day less then he was. The paladin was at least able to hunt phantom gnomes while Halvor had to endure the endless clothing stores first hand.

As the paladin waved to the giant that their mind numbing "quest" was about to continue, he spied a welcome sight from the monotony. Strutting his way towards them was Zax, the most delusional and overconfident boy that the paladin had ever met. Next to him, was his elven "apprentice" who seemed to be holding his arm a bit more closer then he remembered. Sarin also noted she was sporting blond hair and was wearing a fancy breastplate adorned with ridiculous black leather and lace. Despite his distaste for braggarts , Sarin liked the boy, at least there was always excitement when he was around.

"Zax! Darwen! We heard of the duel you won yesterday! Everyone did! Its the talk of the city! ", exclaimed Sharliss as she spied the pair.

"Lady Zahax? ", asked Lilithy in confusion. Sharliss pulled the bird faced tiefling and whispered into her ear . The paired exchanged a brief laugh as the truth was revealed to her.

Zax ignored the giggling girls and tried to pose heroically before them. Even though he felt he had overcome his fear of Sharliss, the tiefling still felt a bit uneasy in her presence. "Yes...I won't bore you with the boring details then. It's good to see you all. Sharliss, Halvor , err..Birdgirl..., Sarin, ...giant girl... However its Halvor that I specifically wish to see. He and I have business to attend to.", the tiefling said without missing a beat while keeping a close eye on the priestess.

Halvor nodded then sighed glumly. "Sorry Zax, I waited for you this morning, even went to your villa, but you weren't up or weren't around. So Sharliss here has snagged me for the day. I don't understand why you need me anyways. You're the most feared man in this city right now."

"What's this about ? ", inquired a suddenly curious Sharliss.

"Sorry for missing our appointed time, but as you can see . I had quite the handful this morning. ", Zax smiled as he motioned his head to a very appreciative and attentive Darwen.

"I have several errands to run today, one of them being collecting a refund from a merchant who isn't up to snuff on his current affairs. I don't mean to attack the man, but proper persuasion of a more physical kind should suffice to wear down his resolve. As you can see , despite our skill neither Darwen or I are that intimidating in appearance . I was hoping to get our big friend Halvor here to "lean" on this unscrupulous shop keeper. Sadly I see he is busy, I guess I can ask Kirgi or something for assistance.", responded Zax.

Sharliss thought for a moment, then a thought donned on her. "You can take Sarin and Isula with you! I can tell they're bored out of their minds.", suggested the priestess.

Zax found the half elf pleasant company but he didn't find the man intimidating at all. He only saw him fight once, and the big half elf was unceremoniously kicked against a wagon by a troll. Having Sarin back him up was like having ...the maid back him up or something.

"Well...I don't know...", spoke Zax.

"Please..take him! ", the priestess begged while motioning to Halvor.

Zax knew right away what her attentions were and relented .

"Wait a second. My job is to guard you missy. Not strong arm merchants. No way I'm going with Zax on this stupid errand. ", objected the half elf despite his desire to go.

"Sar...you will be perfect for this. You can use that circlet that father gave you. ", Sharliss continued to plead.

"Absolutely not! No way I'm using that.", Sarin said angrily, shocked that Sharliss would even mention it.

"Circlet?", asked Zax suddenly intrigued.

The priestess nodded with a smile, "Oh..Its a Circlet of Alluring Charisma. Its more of a headband thing, but sweet Henrietta crafted it to look more like a circlet. She made quite a few for a quest my father was on once she even made one for me when I was a little girl. Its really is an amazing magical item, if you wear it you either look very attractive or you gain great self confidence. For some reason both accomplishes the same effect, namely increased diplomacy and speech skills, and for some people a greater link to magics that require will power . ", explained the girl.

Zax considered her statements and stared at the pretty girl intently, "ERr...are you wearing one right now ?", the tiefling asked tentatively. Zax knew she was a tiefling but considered it odd she was so...attractive. Zax knew he was on the upper end of the good looking scale when it came to his race, and that wasn't saying much. Most tiefling women looked more like Birdgirl . Zax wondered what hideous form Sharliss took if she was without her circlet.

"Nah...my father forbids me to use it . Unless of course its a life or death situation. ", she frowned.

"He ...said it makes me look ...slutty...", she continued with a whisper to Zax, out of everyone's hearing.

"But Sarin here...you should see him with the circlet. Like a heroic knight out of some fairy tale . He'll sure to get you that refund with it on.", Sharliss proudly stated.

"No..No..No...first off...the thing is unnatural. Secondly its like cheating. I don't like your old man, but if he won't wear it, there's probably a reason for it. I don't need some magic item made by some gnome to get me chicks. ", declared the half elf.

"Short elf. ", corrected the priestess.

The two stared at each other tensely. One obviously mad, the other in her eternal playful smile.

Sharliss smiled and thought she would need to change the direction of her attack.

"Aww c'mon Sar. Halvor is more then capable at protecting me from tailors. Also if you go with Zax, Nymk has a reason to come down and accompany you. She's probably bored and lonely. ", she said while waving at a seemingly empty rooftop.

Sarin quickly knocked the smiling priestess's hand down .

"Will you cut that out! She's gonna shoot you one of these days. ", hissed the paladin as he relented .

"I guess its just you me and ...Lily.", smiled Sharliss seductively as she stared into Halvor's eyes.

"How ever will we cope? ", smiled the big knight in return, his gaze locked in return.

"Mistress...I'm going to take some notes in the library. Don't get in too much trouble.", smiled Lilithy as she slipped away from the young couple.

* * *

><p>"So, we're going to go see the sage first. Then if we have time grab lunch. Then of course we'll go to...", babbled the tiefling to no one in particular as he walked down the busy road.<p>

Sarin yawned at his new taskmaster. This seemed as boring as following Sharliss to the paladin. He had hoped that Nymk would see this as an opportunity to come off the roof top, but so far she still remained high above. The half elf scanned for any sign of her presence but saw none. He wondered if Sharliss actually saw the swords woman or if it was one of the many games she played.

As the paladin continued to follow Zax, he slowed his pace to match that of Darwen's.

"So. I see you've decided to take my advice and stay in Grom. A wise move.", Sarin said with an approving nod to the elf.

"I think I would have been better off catching the last boat. I thought I could try my hand at something I thought I had some skill at. Sadly , that was a complete flop. ", the elf said with a disappointed shrug.

"Hey, you can't win them all. At least you tried . Don't give up quite yet. Anyways, considering everyone is calling your former opponent Sir Cheatface, I suspect the odds were stacked against you.", inflected the half elf.

Darwen smiled at the last comment. "Perhaps you're right. I thank you for your counsel. I hope to improve my equipment for the next time . Dueling or not, better armor and weapons are always good to have. This armor and outfit Zax got me is pretty, but sadly not very utilitarian. ", smiled a suddenly more cheerful elf.

"Hey ... don't take this as a pass at you or anything, but I have some extra gear from my grandmother you might want. umm...It's not my size.", admitted the paladin.

Darwen stared at Sarin and tried to determine his true intentions. Was the paladin flirting with her? He looked earnest and honest enough so she relented at his suggestion. "Thank you. Do you always give strange women gifts?", she said with a smile and a wink.

"Well its not like you're a complete stranger. We're both from the same tribe of elves it seems. Since they've all gone north, we have to look out for each other. Believe me, this if for the best . I can just imagine the lame rituals my aunt is running those suckers that went north, through right now. ", chuckled Sarin.

* * *

><p>Somewhere up north.<p>

The wheel of fate spun slowly.

"Right hand red. ", Surry the treekeeper commanded at a squirming mass of elves attempting to reach the appropriate circle with the required appendage on a large runic mat.

"Excuse me Mistress .", asked a scantily clad elven priest.

"Speak! ", commanded Surry as her eyes devoured the man.

"I do not understand the point of this...ritual... it seems like a very unelf like thing to be doing. ", the man stammered.

"It's just harmless fun. Our race is notorious for our low birth rates, I'm just helping them out. ", smiled the Treekeeper.

"I understand, but this is something that should be private. Only the goddess Hanali Celanil should bear witness to it. ", explained the priest.

Surry considered the priests statement, then shouted, "Ok. Time out!"

The mass of elves relaxed from their strained positions, and giggled at each other's close proximity.

"Anyone here that has rescued the Avatar of Hanali Celanil ? Please raise your hand! ", she commanded. No one did , except the priestess herself.

"Ok...anyone here that has talked directly to the Aspect of said goddess? Please raise your hand! ", the priestess continued. Again no one raised their hands except the high priestess.

"One more question. Anyone here bathed in the sacred crystal grove of once again said goddess? Please raise your hand !", the priestess shouted while grinning at the handsome priest. Once again no one but the priestess raised their hand. The mass of elves collectively shrugged then resumed their former positions back on the large mat.

"I understand your exploits are quite renown , but this is...", the priest protested before Surry place a finger on his lips.

"Get into the pile. ", she commanded sternly to the elf. The priest nodded meekly and approached the giggling mass of elves.

The priestess spun the wheel again and waited for it to settle.

"Left foot blue!", Surry shouted with a smile.

* * *

><p>Zax was surprised when Nymph made a sudden appearance . She told them she was to attend to master Sarin since Lilithy was attending to Sharliss. Zax was kind of jealous that the priestess had not one but two maids, and considered getting a few himself .<p>

As they made their way to their first destination , Zax noted his entourage was an unusual sight, but he welcomed the attention. The heroic hero in the lead, his fat man at arms behind him, two beautiful girls, and the strange midget giant behind them. Zax wasn't sure what to make of Isula, he still didn't know if she was a small giant girl or a girl that changed into a giant. He had heard of certain dark dwarves with similar powers but Isula definitely didn't look like a dwarf, the tiefling wondered maybe she was somehow related to them.

Darwen lead the group as they made their way to their first destination. Zax was tired of trying to guess what his sword did, and recalled the elf mentioning she consulted a sage in Grom City. The tiefling thought it couldn't hurt to ask her about the blade. She seemed knowledgeable before with just a sketch to go on, who knows what insight she could provide with the actual blade before her.

As they followed Zax motioned to Sarin to fall behind and trail the group with him. He had some words for the big half elf.

"So...I want you to know you were sooo wrong about the 480 date thing. ", boasted the tiefling with a smirk . To make his point he waved to Darwen up ahead who somehow caught his motion and waved back , grinning ear to ear.

"Second date...Wham bam thank you ma'am. ", boasted the tiefling.

Saring shrugged."Well you didn't provide me with all the details. Of course my estimate was wrong."

"Eh ? How so? ", inquired Zax still gloating over his conquest.

"Well. She's blond. Everyone knows blonds are much easier to get into bed then grey haired women. That's a 33% instead of a 200% multiplier. " , yawned Sarin.

"That's a wig! She's not really a blond. ", stammered Zax.

"Oh c'mon. There's almost no real blonds. A wig counts. ", snorted the paladin.

"Also...from the rumors around the city. She's a duelist. You know how they are. Risking life and limb every fight. That's a 20% multiplier right there. ", continued the half elf.

"20%? You're just making this up.", accused Zax.

"You've met Lord Quick right?", retorted Sarin. Zax thought about it then reluctantly agreed.

"Lastly, I didn't realize she was an Ice elf. Those guys were almost wiped out a few generations ago, so they have a ...desire ...to propagate. That's an easy 50% deduction. Trust me on this one. My Grandmother is an ice elf, she'd sleep with anyone. ", explained Sarin while shaking his head.

"So let's see base of 5, times 5 since she's an elf, times 4 due to her ordeal in Fort Grom, 20% discount since she's in the military , 50% discount since she's an ice elf. 1/3 because she's blond and a 20% multiplier since she's a duelist...what is that?", asked Sarin with smile.

The numbers came too fast for even Zax's accountant mind. Twenty five, one hundred, eighty, forty, thirteen something , two point six something.

"3 ! Hah ..your still off...we only went on two dates. ", said Zax with pride disregarding the fact how easy Sarin had manipulated the numbers.

"Did you count the first time you met her? That still counts.", questioned the paladin.

Zax grumbled at the smoke and mirrors presented to him by the half elf and marched back to the more appreciative Darwin.

Sarin chuckled at how easily he had fooled the tiefling but was suddenly surprised when he felt an elbow to his side.

"I couldn't help but hear you and Zax talking. I'm not exactly sure what you were talking about but I got the gist of it. So...are you telling me blonds and duelists are easier to get in bed with? and aren't you an ice elf, does this mean you have a desire to propagate? ", asked the blond duelist with mock surprise.

"Only if someone buys me dinner.", smiled the paladin in return.

* * *

><p>"Ok...I don't need your services for now. This is just the sage Darwen told me about. You guys can get something to eat or something. I'll buy ..just don't go crazy. ", said Zax who knew that setting a food budget was futile with a half elf in the group. He scrounged out 1 gold and gave it to the maid, before entering the quaint unmarked sage's residence.<p>

Sarin shrugged but his rumbling belly told another story. The half elf, maid and miniature giant scanned the middle class neighborhood and followed their noses to the pleasant aroma of a street vendor . The sight of Grommish sausage and fresh bread wiped out the monotony of the morning , as Nymk paid for their meals with Zax's gold and some of her own. The group began to eat, when suddenly a high pitched girlish scream echoed from the Sage's residence.

"Zax! ", said all three at once. The girlish cry for help was recognized instantly by all three.

Isula was the first to reach the house . Despite her size she easily kicked down the sturdy wooden door barring her path.

Zax was nowhere to be seen , but the screaming girlish cry seemed to emanate from a door on the opposite side of the room. In front of her was Darwen with a worried expression sitting in a plush velvet chair. Sitting next to the elf was an aristocratic woman wearing a form hugging red silk robe . She had long black hair and pale skin. She was spectacularly beautiful save for one flaw. She only had one hand.

"Succubus !" , cried Isula as her eyes focused on the woman. She readied her spear to attack. Darwen and the woman both seemed surprise at the intrusion . The elf jumped to her feet with her weapon ready, unsure of who to attack while the woman next to her remained calmly in her seat.

"Wait...hold up! ", said Sarin as he pushed the giants spear downward.

Isula gave the half elf a puzzled look but relented at the paladin's command.

"Hold on. Hold on. I know her. Its OK. ", sighed Sarin under the screams of Zax.

"Sarin and Lady Nymkakku . How good to see you both . Such a pleasant surprise. ", smiled the woman at the paladin and swords woman.

"Can you wait outside for a second Darwen. ", commanded Nymk forcefully with a smile. Darwen was hesitant , but relented to her order. The elf suspected the maid was more then she appeared but knew now was not the time to inquire. She gave one final worried look at the barred door and left.

"She's a succubus ! My vision can see past her disguise. ", hissed Isula , her spear lowered but still ready.

"I know ...I know...Don't worry ...Zax is safe. I know her...we have history.", said Sarin rolling his eyes at the questions that were sure to follow.

"Ladies, may I present Lady Jhallia. I'll explain our exact relationship later, but I want to know what's going on with Zax in there.", demanded the paladin before his companions could question him.

" To answer your question , I am experimenting. Oh, I'm sure you are aware of the blade he has. Quite incredible actually. He wishes to know what triggers it. I have my suspicions but I couldn't be sure unless I test it.", smiled the woman . As she spoke her image shimmered and she changed into a gorgeous bronze skinned creature with blood red hair and bat wings. Besides her still drop dead good looks, the only thing similar to her previous appearance was the lack of a left hand. Instead of a silk robe she now wore scant wisps of silks and chain.

"I missed you Sarin. You left so quickly last time. I missed you as well Nymk. ", purred the transformed sage.

Isula stared at the demon tensely . She could sense that no violence was needed then relaxed and shrugged. "It seems you three have some catching up to do. I'll be outside with the elf if you need me. ", she said before leaving the room. The giant had no time for these silly games.

"Errr ...yeah...What's this test you have Zax performing! and what blade are you talking about. ", stammered the suddenly sweating paladin trying to evade the fact he had the sage's undivided attention.

"The last time? ", asked a curious Nymk more focused on the sage's last statement.

"Oh..do I sense a hint of jealousy? I wonder if its towards Sar or myself. ", smiled the one handed Succubus while ignoring the initial query about Zax.

"hmmm...", smiled Sarin. Thoughts of the barbarian and demon making out dancing in his head.

"To answer your initial questions Sar. You may or may not know but your friend has in his possession a blade of great power. It has the ability to hide itself in plain sight it seems so you may not be aware of it. Often I think the tiefling himself is unaware of it. I am currently testing to see if Zax can utilize the blade named Dragon's Flame. I've sent a Dretch demon or Forge halfling I believe some of you refer to them as , to battle him. Do not worry, as you know I can not harm anyone while under...my curse. The demon was instructed not to slay the boy. It's even wearing boxing gloves. ", purred the demon. While explaining the situation the screams they heard had suddenly stopped.

"Err...he passed out. I think I punched him out or scared him unconscious . ", grunted a gutteral voice from behind the door.

"You're under a curse? I thought you were just ...a benevolent demon, seeking redemption or something. ", inquired Nymk when she realized Zax was safe.

The demon looked at Sarin who nodded reluctantly. The sage then raised her stump to Nymk. "Yes I am under a curse most foul. Years ago , before our own pleasant little encounter, I had the infinite displeasure of crossing paths with Sarin's great Grandfather, Sir Hildraxel, the aptly named terror of the north. Unlike Yeenoghu my life was spared, but I did not escape unscathed. The villain took my hand, and bound me to oaths . I was compelled not to do harm, unless my life was in danger. As well, because he took my precious hand from me, I was unable to leave this dimension till either my appendage is returned or Sir Hildraxel is slain. Therefore I wander this realm , eeking a living doing odd "jobs". Mostly as a sage, sometimes as a courtesan, if I'm really desperate an adventurer. ", sighed Jhallia.

"Wait...isn't Hildraxel dead? Shouldn't your curse be broken?", asked Nymk.

The demon looked at the paladin, and he sighed. "I wish it were that simple. Believe me I take no joy in knowing that great grandfather is still alive. Well alive isn't the proper word. He's in some sort of stasis , transformed to adamant rock . He's the eternal guardian of Yeehnogu or something. I'm not sure. It's just lore my grandfather and grandmother told me once.", shrugged the paladin.

A chill ran down Nymk's spine. The thought that the greatest villain ever to stalk the tundra was still alive was a bitter thought indeed. She wondered if her Lord, Erland of the Emerald Squirrel knew about this.

Jhallia smiled at the barbarian's distress as she fumbled with the barred door. When the door was opened they were greeted by the sight of 3 short fat creatures with spindly arms and legs surrounding an unconscious battered tiefling. The paladin and barbarian both noted that the creatures had curious padded gloves on. The trio took turns prodding and pushing the boy to see if he was faking his unconsciousness. The one handed sage waved her hand at them , and they disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving just their gloves behind.

"As you can see. These demons were unable to activate Dragon's Flame. ", frowned the disappointed Succubus.

"Summon another one, a big one. Order it to kill Zax this time. No holding back. ", suggested Nymk calmly.

Jhallia and Sarin looked at the barbarian with surprise. "Unfortunately, I am unable to do that. My curse you see...unless of course, Sarin could temporarily lift it. As a descendant of the Terror of the North he has limited power over me. You can say I'm his little puppet or toy.", she said seductively while running a finger along one of the paladin's chins.

Nymk looked at Sarin and ignored Jhallia's affections. She nodded knowingly seeking the half elf's trust in her suggestion.

Sarin pushed the amorous sage away. "Ok, do it. Just this once. ", he said gruffly.

Jhallia smiled at his distress. She transformed back to the black haired sage and then went to Zax and poured a potion down his throat. The tiefling coughed as his superficial bruises vanished . He sat up confused and dazed at his surroundings. Before he could fully recover the succubus conjured forth a hideous vulture headed demon. The creature was as large as a bear and bristled at Sarin when it realized he was a paladin. Despite its anger, it remained still as the sage began to bar the door once again.

"Kill the tiefling. Swiftly and with no mercy.", she commanded gleefully as she shut the door shut.

The screams began once again, but was soon followed by a horrid bird like shriek.

Isula and Darwen both ran into the room, weapons drawn and at the ready.

Jhallia smiled at the pair, and unbarred the door . Zax stood before them frozen in shock , Dragon's Flame in hand over the quickly rotting corpse of a withered vulture demon.

"I think my experiment is complete. There is no need to pay me though, I dare not charge the associates of my master. ", the sage said as she knelt submissively next to the red faced paladin, rubbing her head cat like against the thoroughly embarrassed half elf's hand.

* * *

><p>"So all I have to do to activate this sword, is place myself in real danger. Not what I believe to be dangerous, but a life or death situation.", asked Zax as they walked away from the weird sages house. The tiefling wasn't sure what happened in there, but assumed that someone with a body like that was a part time stripper or whore or something. The entire episode might have been the result of some sort of hallucinogenic smoke she employed so he was uneasy of accepting Jhallia's explanations.<p>

"Correct. I assume the sword did not activate previously because it knew your companions would save you.", replied Darwen unsure of what just happened as well.

"How about the time in the bar with that knight. Did he really want to kill me in a bar?", puzzled the tiefling.

"Well...you were being disrespectful to the Warmaster. Sir Ivan was drinking and he does get into a killing mood when you bad mouth those he has the utmost respect for. ", answered the maid.

"Wait a minute...you were badmouthing Fetch...why you little...", glowered Sarin angrily at Zax, as his large hands balled into fists.

Nymk was shocked at the half elf's reaction. She saw the paladin "bad mouth" the warmaster numerous times in the past, and was surprised at his reaction when he found out Zax had done the same thing. She thought it similar to his reaction of her observation on Half elves. The swords woman calmly touched the half elf's arm, and the paladins anger seemed to subside before actual violence was inflicted.

"What about the alley ...and the time I fought the bandit lord? ..or when the three bandits jumped me when we were escaping .", asked Zax calmly, not realizing how close he came to being knocked out . The tiefling tried to concentrate on the facts at hand , chasing the image of the stripper sage from his head and replacing them with thoughts of the artifact he carried.

"I assume the blade sensed the mystery sniper in the alley and when the bandits jumped you. The bandit lord was boasting how he would torture you so the blade assumed he wasn't going to kill you. ", replied Nymk.

"How about...when Isula was chasing me?", continued Zax.

"She was obviously toying with you that time. ", laughed Maid. Isula agreed by nodding with a smile.

"How about with Sir Cheatface...err Sir Albin? Why did it not help out till after the duel?", continued Zax.

"Albin was just playing with you during the duel Zax. He had opportunity to kill you many times but chose to prolong the fight. He got careless and you were able to knock him out with a lucky blow. The sword sensed no real danger, just a lot of pain and humiliation for you. After the duel when Albin was enraged, the sword sensed no one could save you in time, so it jumped into action. I assume since you are still here alive, the sword has made the right decisions in the past . ", guessed Nymk.

Zax nodded unsure of how come the maid knew so much. The fight with Albin felt real to him despite her claims it was a sham.

"Careful how you handle it though, do not be over confident. Recall the battle with the ogre mage. Even with the blade firmly in your hand, it can not perform miracles. It will greatly enhance your power, but it is still limited by who ever wields it. ", cautioned Nymk.

Zax painfully recalled the Ogre's icy blast. He didn't recall Nymph at the battle though, and wondered how she knew of its attack. The thought was quickly dispelled though, as Zax pondered this new information, and his devious mind began working on how to use it to his advantage.

"Wait...how come I was able to draw it once?", asked Darwen who was now positive the maid was more then she appeared.

"Despite its lack of communication, I am positive the sword is intelligent. I assume it just wanted to show off.", shrugged the maid.

Darwen knew Zax's companions were unique, but she suddenly realized how little she knew about them. She drew closer to Zax and felt some comfort in that she knew exactly who and what the tiefling was capable of.

* * *

><p>As they made their way to the next errand , Sarin once again fell back from the pack but this time with Nymk at his side.<p>

"So...two weeks with Jhallia with you as the master and her as your obedient servant? That must have been a fun filled time.", teased the swords woman.

"Its not what it seems. I didn't know who she was at the time. We were adventuring...we didn't...wait you're teasing me again. This isn't funny you know. I'm a paladin. I have a reputation to uphold.", grumbled Sarin.

Nymk smiled at the half elf's distress.

"So what's your connection with her?", countered the paladin.

"Let's just say it involved a lot of wine and a lot of lotion. ", smiled the barbarian wistfully.

The barbarian noted the half elf's mixed reaction. She wasn't sure if he was jealous or distressed . " I'll buy you dinner later , and we'll talk about it. Who knows...I might even be willing to give you a demonstration. ", she said with a wink.


	22. Chapter 22

As the Arbiter of Ice and Master of the Windtalons , Stormfeather had little opportunity to engage in planning military operations. Which was a shame , since the young knight greatly enjoyed planning, logistics , and tactics. He loved the fact, that his commands would be followed to the letter, regardless of how dangerous and suicidal they were. He mused he was like a god of death, sending men that trusted him to their deaths if he so chose.

"Clawey miss BRUDER!", interrupted the large Iceclaw. The oldest son of Felwind was a monster of a man, almost as tall as Sir Albin himself with at least hundred pounds of pure muscle added. Stormfeather always thought his brutish brother was more ogre then knight, but was always glad when he fought with him. The Arbiter of Ice knew that enemies that underestimated his oafish looking brother were usually rewarded with great dismay.

Stormfeather grunted as he struggled to push his brother back to the bench, but the large knight did not seem to understand or respond. Finally a lithe hand touched the ogre and Storm's intentions finally dawned on him. The brutish knight understood his younger brothers wishes and calmly sat down.

"Thank you Lionsong. I didn't expect to see you here.", smiled Stormfeather to his stunningly beautiful sister. He knew such thoughts were wrong but the knight shrugged , incestous thoughts were a minor crime compared to the mountainous list of foul deeds he had committed in the name of the Griffon.

The long auburn haired woman shrugged at her younger brother. She normally only concerned herself with the hunt be it demons, dragons, or some other type of tundra monster . It was rare that she took interest in anything of a political nature. "I heard you were hunting some sort of abomination. Of course I am interested. ", she smiled haughtily.

As his sister Lionsong sat down next to the monstrous Iceclaw, Stormfeather surveyed the dozen senior knights and knight commanders assembled before him. "All right ladies and gentlemen. I'm sure you're all fired up to find out what sort of murder, mayhem, rape and pillaging the "Great Hunting Bird" want you guys to commit. Trust me its a real dozey this time. Cancel your appointments, cuz this will take one maybe two weeks. Overtime for everyone! ", joked the Arbiter of Ice.

The grim faced Knights of the Ice Griffon nodded. They were accustomed to Stormfeather's humor but knew that underneath his light demeanor lied the heart and soul of a very serious blood thirsty killer. A young page began passing out several papers to the gathered knights and they began to study them in earnest. Except Iceclaw of course, who the page provided charcoal with to draw pictures on the parchment.

"Picture...funny...", smiled the hulking knight.

Stormfeather ignored his idiotic brothers interruption and continued with the briefing. "This is our primary target. The creature is currently residing in Grom City , at their Academy of Magic. Our goal is to retrieve this abomination and shuttle it back here as soon as possible. The Academy is warded of course, but from the reports I've been given it takes many forays into the city. Do not be fooled by its "soft" appearance , it is very dangerous prey. It also is accompanied by a half breed "pet", you can eliminate it if it gets in your way . ", explained Stormfeather.

"I heard we are drawing out forces hidden in the ranks of the Order of the Purple Griffon as well as several companies of mercenaries . If you don't mind me saying so , that seems like over kill.", asked one senior knight tentatively.

In a flash Stormfeather's two handed blade was inserted in the man's mouth. No one saw him draw the blade ,saw him swing it or even move towards the speaker but to everyone's surprise the blade was jammed deeply into the questioner's mouth. Fortunately for him, the blade was still sheathed . Despite being still in the scabbard, the force of the blow still drew blood and likely shattered teeth in the process. "No, this is overkill. What my plan entails is what I call "covering all the bases". We are attempting to take a political hostage in the capital of the most powerful empire in the world, afterwards we have to transport said hostage across a thousand miles of enemy territory. Of course we need a small army. There is no room for mistakes here boys and girls. Anyone else with a question?", asked the Arbiter of Ice to the silent room.

"Good . I shall continue with the briefing then. This is much too risky for a cloak and dagger Windtalon operation. We need military speed and precision for this one. The target is well defended and I doubt even our best sneaks and spooks can overcome them. The creature has surrounded itself with various adventurers but we shall attempt our operation while they are...adventuring or whatever they do. However, it has other allies we have to be concerned with. To begin with its been seen in the company of Lady Nymk. To those not familiar with her, she's the Emerald Arbiter, a former Knight of Winter, a bride of Boryis, and a tribesman of the Diamond Khan. A more dangerous foe you won't find.", stated Stormfeather with great admiration.

"What..Bride of Boris?", asked Iceclaw.

"Oh...a former concubine to that bat crazy wizard ...I'll show you pictures later bro. Suffice to say she's very familiar with all things magic and even has some latent enchantments as well. ", chuckled Stormfeather.

"Anyways, our prey might be in close association with the infamous Lord Quick as well. As you know he's one of those yappy over confident elves. Despite his inflated reputation he is dangerous with the blade and does have some mastery over magic. I might add that he can't use them both at once , like a bladesinger , duskblade ...or what do they call those people now...a magus! He sounds scary right?, but don't worry I doubt he will be a problem. We will leave him alone for the time being. " , continued the young knight.

"Lastly, it has befriended the newly appointed Interm Champion of the Husky, Zax the Hag slayer, troll stomper, and now the Griffon killer. I know I know , a long pompous title, but probably our most dangerous foe on this mission. First off its another abomination, as an aside I would like to point out that our neighbor to the south is filled with these creatures, more reason to subjgate that realm and purge them. Someone has to right? Am I right or am I right? Oh where was I ? Oh yes our foe wields some type of soul sucking artifact blade. It survived one of our hit teams, and then It killed Sir Albin in a duel. As a side note , our cleric's weren't able to revive Albin . Said his soul was drained, so treat any encounters with this monster with extreme caution. Use of missile weapons is recommended but not guaranteed. I'm sure you all heard the rumors of Sir Albin's duel. He engaged it on a griffon with a bow, and still lost. I know due to his size Albin wasn't a very good griffon rider, but he wasn't an idiot either. I suggest if you are assigned to enage this Zax or more likely if you encounter him randomly, to engage with your full squad. Take no chances with this abomination."

The assembled knights nodded and looked at the rosters given to them. They would fly south , rendezvous with their hidden elements in Grom, then break down into squads. The squads had various tasks assigned to them , some seemed self explanatory but others seemed bizarre or even counter productive. There would be little to no communication once the attack started. They had to rely on the speed and power that their order was famous for. They knew the plan had many variables in it, but none were willing to voice their opinion after the last outburst.

"Alright, you have your orders. We'll take flight at dawnbreak. Now get the hell outa here. ",ordered the confident young knight.

Stormfeather loved playing the bully , bad guy and villain . Especially amongst his own men. He was sure most of the knights under his command wanted nothing more then to pummel him if given the chance, but his lineage, position and his skill prevented this. Watching his own men squirm under his command was one of the simple pleasures of life he indulged in.

"How'd I do? Should I stand on a box next time. You know make my self look taller more intimidating. ", Stormfeather said while attempting to flirt with his sister.

Lionsong shook her head ignoring her brother's attentions. It was a game they played, one that he never won. "You did fine , except the part where you shoved your sword into Rolf's mouth. That will affect his performance on the field you know." , she replied with disdain.

"Ahh that's fine. He's one of the guys I've put on suicide duty. Someone has to cover our escape you know. ", smirked the young knight.

"His observation is correct though . This is a bit over kill. ", stated the lithe huntress somberly with no fear of retaliation.

Stormfeather shrugged and lost his flippant attitude , "I know , that's what I said too, but this is what pops wants. And whatever pops wants pops gets. If "The Great Hunting Bird" wants a dramatic attack on Grom City, "The Great Hunting Bird " will get one. ", explained the knight adopting a serious tone.

Lionsong nodded recognizing the seriousness of her normally carefree murderous brother. She seldom saw this side of him, but knew it meant the mission weighed heavily on him.

"Is this Champion Zax...is he that dangerous.", she asked .

Stormfeather knew she was sizing the tiefling up to determine if he was worthy prey or not. The Arbiter of Ice was like his father, he desired nothing but power and would sacrifice anything for it. However he did have his limits, he cared deeply for his brother Iceclaw and his sister Lionsong . Even though he thought one was an idiot, and the other he wanted in his bed.

"Leave the creature , it's too dangerous. Even without its soul rending blade, it's a very capable and resourceful monster. It wouldn't surprise me if it has pieced together our ultimate goals after our failed attempts to first assassinate then humiliate him. I wonder what type of deadly plans he is plotting right now . ", cautioned Stormfeather in an uncharacteristically somber voice.

* * *

><p>"Ok, here's the plan. I'll go in being all nice like. While you come in huffing and being a general ass. This will make him more likely to deal with me. ", declared Zax , obviously proud of his master plan.<p>

"Good guard, bad guard? That's your brilliant stratagem ?", asked a clearly unimpressed Sarin.

"Well...I'm really good at being sympathetic and likeable...while ...err you're really large. Large people are known to get irritated easier.", replied the orange tiefling, carefully choosing his words.

The large half elf was angered by the tiefling's generalization and considered bashing him on the head in response. He would show the runt how irritable and angry large people can get. Before he was able to act on his impulse Zax turned and pointed as they reached their destination.

"Oh hey! We're here! The scum bag merchant that ripped me off on all these potions I bought. ", declared Zax as he pointed at the cheerfully decorated store.

"Dimitri's ? Zax...nobody gets a refund from Dimitri's or any of his other stores.", replied Nymk in surprise.

"Yeah, well I'm not anyone . I'm Zax.", declared the tiefling.

"Wait..wait...I guess you never heard of this place before have you?", asked Sarin tepidly.

Zax shrugged. "Why, they have a tough refund policy or anything? Cuz, I bought a bunch of potions at their branch in Lower Lueder's and I distinctly recall a money back guarantee sign on the wall. I've taken the proper precautions. ", the tiefling answered.

"It's not that simple. They make it hard , a red tape nightmare just to get your cash back, and if you get mad...well they say they have magical guardians protecting the store. I've heard of dragons, elementals ...even the undead used as guardians. ", shivered the normally fearless Nymk.

Zax smiled at the foolish maid, "Look...I have the bureaucratic red tape stuff handled. That's my thing you see. I just need Chins...err I mean Sarin here to act tough, maybe raise his voice and shake his jowls menacingly . Look , we all know he's just some school girl's body guard, but who ever is inside doesn't know that. With his armor, he looks like...an overweight sheriff or something. Hey Sarin, can you do any accents. I need you to act really low brow stupid like , just to reinforce the point that you solve things with your fists. That will grease the red tape wheels. ", the tiefling declared.

"Chins? Shake my Jowls? School girl's body guard? Overweight Sheriff ? Look stupid? ", gasped Sarin angrily.

"Yes! You got it! Perfect! ", said Zax while giving the red faced paladin a big thumbs up.

Nymk, Isula and Darwen wanted no part of the nonsense that was sure to happen. They retreated to a nearby tavern to order the lunch that the earlier episode at the Sage's caused them to miss. Sarin wanted to join them, but Zax insisted that the whole point of him following him was to help him "muscle" this Dimitri, or his clerk.

As the pair entered the store, Zax gave the half elf some last minute instructions. "Just glower angrily at first...yeah like what your doing right now . That's perfect. ", chirped the tiefling.

The pair entered the store , and were immediately welcomed by a thin bald man. "Welcome to Dimitri's ! The finest magic store in all of Grom and beyond. We serve the Empire and beyond with a dozen convenient branches, reaching as far north as Baltar's Port, as south as Monty Nargar and along the Western Freeholds and of course Cauldron. We can deliver all varieties of potions, scrolls, wands , weapons, armor , and various wondrous items. Remember , if you're not 100% satisfied at Dimitri's we'll give you your money back!", the man declared.

Zax smiled smugly, confident he'll soon be getting a big fat refund from the merchant.

"Well, that's what we're here about. My oafish friend and I purchased some potions at your northern branch a while ago, and they seem to be defective. I want my money back, the sooner the better since my dim witted companion might think we're getting ripped off and do something that his violent limited intellect dictates him to. ", the tiefling declared. Zax stared at his half elf companion and noticed he was doing it all wrong. He was glowering at Zax not the merchant, the big oaf clearly didn't get the instructions right.

The bald man initially frowned but like a true veteran of the service industry he then smiled despite the veiled threats given to him by Zax. " Ahh I see, please direct all your inquiries to our northern branch. We are not responsible for malfunctioning merchandise bought at other branches. ", the man declared smugly.

Zax had expected this and unfurled a parchment similar to one tacked onto the wall of the store. "Well good thing I took the liberty of getting a copy of your chain's policy before I made my purchases. The return to the specific store rule might be this particular store's policy , but as you can see from where I circled the "company" policy is to accept refunds at I quote "any branch of Dimitri's". I see you have a similar parchment on your wall, we could compare documents if you desire.", the tiefling said smoothly.

The merchant's composure cracked a little but he quickly recovered. "Ahh I see our policies have updated internally but not at the store level . At Dimitri's we believe in the customer first , so just this once we will process your claim through the old methods. Now let's see before we proceed. Do you have a copy of your receipts? I must insist that they be legible and clearly identified. We don't accept smudged or water damaged copies.", smiled the merchant.

"Oh yes. I made sure that the clerk at your northern branch write and rewrite the receipts given till It met my specifications. They must have been out of the more durable common newsprint parchment that day at your north branch as they wrote the receipt on these flimsy sheets , so I took the documents to a bookbinder and stored them in an air tight scroll tube . I have all my documents stored that way , because you never know when some unscrupulous merchant or tax auditor might question my records. ", the tiefling smirked as he retrieved a scroll tube from his magical satchel.

Zax could see the exchange was wearing down on the merchant, and he half expected the man to yell soon. Sarin on the other hand was quite surprised at how thorough the tiefling was with his buisness affairs. He wondered if he really had all his documents prepared in such a manner, or was it all a bluff to deal with this particular store.

"Excellent then. To ensure future customer satisfaction, we need a detailed list of when and how the items you purchased fail. I might add that if they were used in a manner that exceeded the manufacturer's suggested usage then the refund is regrettably null.", stated the merchant as he pushed a mountain of paperwork towards Zax.

"Oh, that's unnecessary. I already prepared the documents ahead of time. ", smiled Zax as he retrieved an equally large pile from his satchel and pushed them towards the merchant.

Zax watched the merchant composure begin to finally crumble. He wanted the man to yell or rant, at the point of course Zax would have won. Sarin on the other hand noticed a growing presence of evil growing in the room. His paladin aura sensing was screaming danger. The pressure of hate and violence seemed to be suffocating the paladin, while the clueless tiefling seemed oblivious to the growing danger.

"You think, you're so smart eh. Well ...I hate to do this, but I'm going to have to summon our retail inventory control specialist. He'll deal with you directly !", the man shouted menacingly.

Zax grinned ear to ear. That's what he was waiting for. The merchant had crumbled before his assault, and now his manager was gonna give him a big fat refund. Score one for tiefling booking keeping, Zax thought to himself.

Sarin watched the man almost flee the room , behind a curtain of pure darkness. The paladin noticed the temperature of the room begin rising steadily. Was it a dragon ? An elemental ? An efreet? Or something more sinister...a balrog ?

An overwhelming wave of evil suddenly poured into the room. Sarin noticed Zax gleefully rubbing his hands while turning towards the paladin . The tiefling gave the lemball goal signal and indicated to Sarin that they were going to get paid out soon. The half elf only saw a huge red scaled humanoid creature rise from the floor behind the tiefling. Infernal flames and waves of power emanating from the creature. The paladin knew the foe that stood before him. It was much worse then a balrog, it was a dreaded pit lord. One of the most powerful scions of the nine hells. A being of pure evil and destruction. Before Zax could turn around, the half elf grabbed the scrawny tiefling and threw him unceremoniously out the store . The paladin quickly barricaded the door with a chair. He wouldn't let this monster loose on the city, he would stop it here by himself if he had to, it would be too risky for Isula and Nymk to fight this creature without a high chance they would perish from its flames. If his sacrifice meant they had a chance to flee, then the heroic paladin would exchange his life for that opportunity.

"Hey Sarin you idiot! We don't leave till AFTER we get our money! OPEN UP! ", shouted Zax outside while he rapped his knuckles on the door.

"Zax get out of here. Tell the girls there's a pitlord here. Follow Nymk's lead! ", the paladin shouted at the door then turned to his foe.

"Back hell spawn! Back to Nessus, Cania, or whatever infernal plane you crawled from ! You can not pass! ", bellowed the paladin at the pit fiend. Holy power channel through his spear causing it to glow white hot in preparation for combat.

"Foolish mortal! There are limits to my master's patience. You will serve as an example for those that tempt...", declared the massive pitfiend in a crackling cacophonous voice then it suddenly stopped in mid sentence.

"Sarin? ", the creature asked suspiciously while his cat like eyes quickly scanned the room.

The paladin narrowed his eyes..."Baalphzon?", the half elf asked.

"What are you doing here?", the massive pitfiend said with the same crackly voice but with a more subdued tone.

"I can ask you the same.", the paladin said with relief. Although he was prepared to sacrifice himself to buy his friends some time, the thought of battling a pitfiend did not appeal to him.

"One second. ", the pitfiend declared before suddenly transforming himself into a small imp sized version of himself. "Ahh that's better. For a second , I thought your relatives were coming to get me. ", chuckled the monster.

"Anyways, I'm here working. The part about my master is crap , its just business spiel . My exact relationship here is an employee, more of an on call contractor actually. I would prefer something more suitable to my station and power, but I did agree to not cause any trouble while in this dimension. As a former member of the Dark Eight I can assure you that I keep my word. ", replied the imp sized pitfiend.

Sarin scoffed as the creature mentioned honor. The paladin knew that the only thing preventing him from enslaving the city was the truce it had with his dysfunctional family . If Baalphzon thought he had any chance to defeat them, the paladin knew he would definitely try .

"I'm here for a refund. ", stated Sarin simply , when he saw the creature was looking at him inquisitively.

"Is that it? Do you think I'm stupid?", laughed the Imp . " You're obviously here to check up on me. Well I'm clean OK? Tell your grandmother she can call off her hounds.", the imp declared.

The two stared menacingly at each other. Sarin had attempted to slay the pitfiend once in the past, but failed miserably in that attempt. Baalphzon would have liked nothing better to tear the paladin apart but knew the consequences of such actions, even if they were in self defense. The paladin's relatives were surprisingly adept at traveling through dimensions and even time. The pitfiend knew there would be nowhere for him to safely hide. Baalphzon of course wanted to avoid such a scenario he had enough powerful enemies without alienating his few "friends".

Despite the pair's animosity, the mood quickly changed. Even though under different circumstances they would have be sworn enemies, their odd relationship allowed the pair to at least be civil and even enjoy the other's company.

"So did you lose weight?", joked the imp.

"How are you liking stocking potions? Seems like a step down from commanding 1/8 of hells legions.", replied the half elf drolly.

"How'd that date with Dahana go? Was she the dark angel of your dreams?", chuckled Baalphzon.

"You still do the parrot thing on your master's shoulders? Baalphzon want a cracker? Squawk !", laughed the paladin.

The pair joked around for a bit, their hatred of each other temporarily forgotten. "Hey Baal...did you know Hush is a half fiend ?", asked Sarin in a serious tone.

"Oh really? I can never tell the difference, I would have thought Sister Wayland might have. Speaking of Sister Wayland, there's a woman you should set your piggy eyes on . She still single? ", asked the imp.

Sarin shrugged, "Not really my type. Too passive for my taste. "

"A pity. Speaking of Hush. She's almost 7 now isn't she. She must be a handful now isn't she.", the imp said wistfully.

Sarin nodded , despite no one knowing her exact age. He then held up his hand to almost the 6 feet mark.

"What! Whoa, I still imagine her as a little girl still. I guess if she's a half fiend, that would explain a lot. Half fiends grow up really fast I hear.", responded the imp .

"Yeah, that's what I heard. ", said the half elf distantly.

Suddenly the door holding the store door collapsed, as Zax flew in with his sleeves rolled up!

"A winged rat! You got me all worked up for a winged rat ! Sarin, this is what people like myself in the adventuring buisness call an Imp . When you said pitfiend or pitlord, I was expecting the beast that the crazy sage summoned. You know the unstoppable brute with the boxing gloves that caught me with a lucky punch . You should be careful when you start screaming like that, I am reminded by the boy that cried wolf fable. You wouldn't want to be like that boy do you Sarin? If a real demon with boxing gloves was before you and you cried pitfiend , no one might come help you if they remember this little debacle of yours...hey wait a minute..I know you.", said Zax in surprise.

Sarin was about to pummel the tiefling but stopped when he saw recognition in both the tiefling and the imps face.

"Hey you're that Zax guy. The guy that has the seats next to mine at the coliseum !", replied Baalphzon.

"Go Insector! ", Zax replied and the pair started to do an imaginary wave with their hands.

"Oh good times. Hey...you think you can do a brother a favor. I need a refund...", the tiefling said with a smile.

* * *

><p>"That was an interesting day. ", said Sarin to Nymk after he escorted Zax and Darwen back to their villa. Isula had enjoyed the food given to her all day, but found the entire affair boring. She had left awhile ago to continue exploring the city , though Sarin thought it was just a cover to trap their "spy".<p>

"An encounter with a succubus, a pitfiend...and a gnome? Who would have believed it. ", the swords woman said with a laugh.

"Aren't you going to hang out on the roof or something?", Sarin asked as he noticed that the barbarian was still at his side after they left the tiefling and the elf.

"Oh, the villa is quite secure. I think I can leave those two alone for a few hours. Darwen is quite capable . ", she said with sly smile. " To tell you the truth I don't mind spying on Zax, but spying on the pair of them makes me feel...a little dirty. Especially when they are in a playful mood. ", laughed the barbarian.

"Oh perish the thought. So , we still have your cot prepared in the wagon. You can crash there if you want tonight.", the half elf said as if he didn't care, but his obvious intention was easily read by Nymk.

"When you said it was an interesting day, I think it might be a more interesting night. ", the swords woman said in reply.

Sarin grinned ear to ear. His pace quickened back to the cart, but stopped when he heard sobbing from within. He knew the source immediately and quickly threw the door open.

"SARIN! I'm such a fool! ", exclaimed a tear filled Hush as she rushed to her guardian.

The priestess hugged the half elf and began her rant, "I left him. I told him to leave. and he did...WAAHHHH .. I asked him to ignore the caravan, he told me he couldn't . I questioned his honor, he questioned my maturity...I ..I WAHHHHHH", cried the young woman.

Sarin wasn't sure exactly what happened but he could piece it together. He knew Halvor's caravan would leave to go back north soon, and Sharliss most likely told him to stay instead. They obviously disagreed and the two young lovers fought. Although Sharliss appeared in her early twenties now, in many ways she was still a little girl. Sarin knew she would quickly outgrow this phase, but he knew that heart ache was something she had to experience first hand.

Nymk watched the paladin comfort the priestess and waved a weak goodbye. Sarin responded with a nod. His duty would always come first.


	23. Chapter 23

Stormfeather, the Arbiter of Ice scanned the faces of his lieutenants. He saw distrust in some of their eyes, caution in others, and confusion in the rest. It wasn't what he wanted to see before such an important engagement, but it was what he expected.

"May the Great Hunting Bird watches us and bless our mission. Woe to those and their families who do not fulfill their duty. ",the Griffon Prince intoned. The statement he uttered had the desired effect. His father's name was not to be used lightly, but Stormfeather knew it was basically a bucket of cold water to the head to those who were less then willing to execute their mission. Whatever doubts these knights had were quickly replaced by fear , both real and imagined , of the dreaded Griffon King.

Stormfeather smiled, "Everyone knows their specific missions I take it. Last chance for questions. ", asked the prince but the camp of grim faced warriors just stared quietly at him.

"Oh c'mon. I mean it. I promise not to stab or smack anyone around this time. I'm trying to be more open here . Look, if this is about the scabbard through the mouth thing, I'm sorry. ", lied the Griffon Prince. The truth was he greatly enjoyed jamming his blade into Sir Rolf's face. It established his dominance over his warriors and it was fun as well. However he did not wish for the mission to fail due to a lack of communication.

The collected griffon knights hesitated. They knew their commander was too much like his sire , vicious , cruel and deadly. They respected him for his battle acumen but feared him for his brutal methods. To a man they trusted the mission was going to be successful, but they also knew that some of them were to be "sacrificed" for the mission. That was the way of victory , the way of the Ice Griffon.

A young knight tentatively raised his hand, and Stormfeather smiled in acknowledgement. "Sir Wilfred, speak ", the prince smiled.

"This is the largest operation that I've seen outside of our victory over the gnolls with the Great Host, but even our numbers pale compared to the forces arrayed against us. 400 Griffon riders, 1200 assorted mercenaries. We are badly outnumbered since we face the multiple garrisons of Grom City, elements of the First Army, the Queen's guard, the demonic Dread Guard, even the Royal Adventurers and who knows what else?", babbled the young Wilfred.

The Griffon Prince nodded, "Well...I'm glad someone brought this up. I believe if my father was here...", Stormfeather paused as he once again invoked his father's name . He paused dramatically to let the fear set in. ", he would tell a colorful fable to illustrate his point. You know, the ones about flying predators , that normally end with someone butchered or covered in blood. Ah...I could use some of the old man's wit right now. Sadly, I'm not as eloquent as he is with words. I'll just put it bluntly with an analogy I can handle. Let's say this is a Lemball game, the end zone is covered with Grommish Linebackers, and we need a touchdown. We could try to go straight through them, but one of their fat mutant half elves would crush us before we get ten yards, so we need to run a fake to draw their attention. I know, I know , people are gonna get sacked and tackled, and most likely end up on the injured reserve, but trust me we will get the two points and a big old W on the win column. ", explained Stormfeather.

The Arbiter of Ice expected some applause but was surprise to hear his rousing speech greeted with silence.

"Umm...what's Lemball?", asked Sir Henry.

Stormfeather rolled his eyes. " Ok bad example. Here's a better one. We need to succeed in this mission, and I am willing to sacrifice everyone here to achieve that objective. If you prove you are not up to the task, The Great Hunting Bird will take it out on your family and loved ones. So do as I say , or bad things will happen .", scowled the prince in a deathly serious tone.

The knight's nodded . Although they and their families were just threatened, it was standard fare for the Order of the Ice Griffon. Horrible death or great glory. That was something they could understand . They knew they were the greatest of all the Northern Knights. Like the Griffon of their namesake, they either soared or crashed. Such was their way.

"Any other questions?", asked Stormfeather .

"Judging from your plan, we have someone in power on the inside I take it? Do we need to extract him afterwards.", asked Lionsong.

Stormfeather was surprised at his older sister's insight. He did indeed have a "traitor" amidst the enemy. He had no intention of revealing this , not for fear one of his own people would blab, but for the fact he reveled in knowing things others didn't. Lionsong's deduction of the information before her spoiled his little game, but the Griffon Prince nodded and sighed in response.

"Yes , we do have a person on the inside track. But no, we don't have to extract him. We aren't nursemaids you know. He can handle himself.", relented the Arbiter of Ice.

The collected knights murmured in response to this new information. A bit of their fear replaced with confidence of additional assistance. Stormfeather did not like this, he rather his men be a bit unnerved . He found fear a useful tool. It could shatter his foes with a single strike , as well as make his allies fight like cornered wolves . The prince made a mental note to discuss this with his sister later, but for now simply nodded and smiled.

"I assume he is important?", continued Lionsong.

"Oh, I can assure you. He's very important. ", replied the Griffon Prince.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick stood by his window and took in the magnificent view. Grom City, the jewel of the North, a place where dreams were fulfilled and nightmares , real or imagined , lurked in the shadows. The elven lord gazed at his subjects, they seemed so busy in their lives. They believed hard work , piety and loyalty would raise them in society, that people get what they deserve and things like Karma and justice were still real.<p>

The elven aristocrat chuckled at his musings. He was living proof that lying and scheming could attain results much higher then truth or honesty. His life wasn't a total lie, but there were enough "details" in it that were embellished or conjured to aid him in his rapid rise. "Where to begin...where to begin ...", Ricardo Belcadiz . Royal adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion, Prince in exile, Scorpion of Grom, Grandson of Carnelia de Fedoriad also known widely as Lord Quick thought to himself.

When Lord Quick first came to Grom he did "adventure" and engage in other forms of banditry. He made a name for himself and was invited to the quasi criminal organization known as the Royal Adventurers. Quick observed it was a loose organization meant to troubleshoot for the empire, but since the Emperor was gone, it was now just a very exclusive private club. Grand Duelist was just a term he made up. It was true he had an impressive record in duels, but he told the heralds in court to use that title so he would sound more impressive . This of course lead to bigger and better things. Traditionally the Queen's Champion upheld the Queen's honor , but since the Queen Zevelle disappeared over a hundred years ago, Lord Quick quietly assumed that position without any opposition. Prince in exile was also a load of Musk Ox droppings. Ricardo Belcadiz did come from Glantri, and his grandmother was indeed lady Fedoriad...but that was about it. He was a minor noble from a very distant land , with an embellished title. The elf knew that Glantri politics were often confusing, and doubt random travelers could even hazard a guess at the genealogies involved. If someone did know, they were in his territory...they had to obey the rules of diplomacy and play by his rules. That or meet him in the dueling field. Lastly , Lord Quick wasn't even the Scorpion of Grom. To his knowledge, the Scorpion of Grom was a royal adventurer from a distant era . A time when they actually did things that contribute to society. He was lost in the northern waste lands, and no one heard from him since then. The ambitious elf thought it was a cool title, so took it for his own . It was his favorite title. It was feared by the lower classes and respected by the upper ones as well. It conjured up images of violent poisonous death to those that opposed him, which suited the elf fine.

Lord Quick paused and stared at the portraits of the dozen women he had previously called his wife that were hanging on the wall. Some looked at him in disapproval, some in jealousy, others in admiration. He had accomplished much , sometimes with their aid other times in spite of them. The elf liked the fine things in life, riches, luxury, and beautiful women. When he arrived in Grom City he quickly discerned the quickest path to his goal . The life of a Royal Adventurer. It wasn't easy, but someone with his talents quickly rose to the top. The beleaguered Chancellor Karak had hoped new blood would turn the fortunes of Grom around, and for a time it did. However unlimited wealth and little accountability soon made Quick the man he was today.

He knew the other Royal Adventurers in the Empire were just as useless as he was. Besides Chancellor Karak , he occupied one of the highest post in Grom. Karak was old and feeble, and was barely able to maintain his own bodily functions let alone run a kingdom in the absence of the emperor. This was fine with Quick and the other slackers and layabouts in his order. As long as the Empire was held together , his merry band of legalized bandits used the treasury and people as their personal bank accounts. Life was good here in Grom, much better then in Glantri. However Lord Quick saw things were about to change.

The elf knew he lived in an illusion, and one day , one day very soon, it could all be dispelled. He needed something more real..more substantial. He needed real power. Although Central Grom was the seat of the empire, the elf knew that it had grown corrupt and decadent. Something which he had no small part in shaping. Despite being a bloated bureaucracy that drained the people , it could easily dominate the hapless city states of Southern Grom and the war torn lands of Northern Grom. As long as their demands weren't too outrageous , it normally kept the satraps and minor rulers in line. Recently though, reports of a great military victory in the north changed everything. The legendary knights that sacked Grom City centuries ago were freed from their homeland. Also rumors that General Olive which lead an expedition hundreds of years ago to aid their northern allies had returned . At first the reports were viewed with skepticism but reports and arrivals of several dozen sky ships from the north confirmed Quick's worst fears.

Most of the old generals were easily controlled with some gifts and favors, but Olive was a military leader from a different era. She actually believed in order , discipline and law. It would only be a few more years before she grew tired of the rampant nepotism and incompetence of Central Grom, and either lead a rebellion or ...worst yet demand change and accountability. Lord Quick knew that Grom City was still powerful enough to crush any northern resistance, but he also knew half his compatriots (himself included ) would flee the country before such a thing came to pass.

The elf already made arrangements to flee back to Glantri or the foreign empire of Thyatis if a civil war erupted, but he dreaded the thought of becoming nothing but a minor noble or worse, another rich merchant. Such a life was not for him. The elf was resigned to retreat...then a miracle happened. Although it wasn't required, Lord Quick did have an effective information network in the city. When he found out that deadly Lord Eggbert had returned with General Olive, the elven lord knew it was the beginning of the end. The threat of one and possibly more "real" royal adventurers meant change was imminent. Quick was prepared to spend one more summer in Court then flee during the fall when the merchants headed south to sell their wares. However...fortune had smiled on him.

He was curious of the exact natures of the odd couple that brought the Scroll . A pretty blue haired girl, and an oafish Zug Folk. To his surprise he was delighted to discover that one was a direct descendant of the dreaded Sir Hildraxel and the Last Princess of the ice elves and much more importantly the other was the daughter of the Legendary Warmaster. The hero that freed the knights, liberated McDunnalds and destroyed the demons of Lower Lueders. Such information would serve him well...serve him well indeed.

"The preparations for your ...party are complete sir.", a servant said humbly .

"The skyships...are they ready as well?", asked the elf . His clever plan would soon be realized.

"Yes Sir. It is unheard of for an entire squadron to be redeployed so soon and so unexpectedly, but your name has ... great influence still. They have prepared the ordnance..you requested. ", continued the servant.

"Excellent...proceed with the plan. Operation Ring ", smiled the elf. Lord Quick glanced at the pictures of his previous wives, " Yes my dears, Lord Quick is not done for yet. No one can stop the forces I have just put in motion. ", the elven noble thought.

* * *

><p>"Hey, do you have any of those fruity drinks...you know the ones with the little umbrellas or swords in them ? Get me two please. ", Zax asked the waitress with a wink. The tiefling had just finished telling a group of admirers of how he scoured the sewer of 20 mastiff sized rats. It was a thrilling tale with only a shred of truth in it, but it roused the crowd to claps and cheers.<p>

Zax took in the lavish ambiance of the establishment. Hardwood tables, wooden railings, crystal goblets, pretty waitresses were all things Zax didn't expect. Since the dwarf chose the establishment he was expecting boxes for chairs, leaking cups, and half orc servers. The tiefling was quite impressed at the tavern chosen by Kirgi to officially launch his old companion's caravan expedition.

"This seems a bit excessive and expensive for a caravan don't you think?", asked Darwen as the waitress returned with their drinks. She examined the wooden garnish sword and promptly threw it into the wall. Her aim was perfect and it stuck firm into her target. She then drank the beverage in several swift gulps as befitting a woman of her former military rank and station.

"Hey I don't care as long as I'm not paying. ", replied Zax with a shrug. He stirred his drink and took a sip of the fruity beverage. The tiefling frequented many taverns but winced at the sharp bite of the beverage. He masked his weak stomach with a smile and threw his garnish at the same spot his elf companion had as well.

"OWWW! Who threw that! I'll rip his head off! ", demanded Kirgi as he was rubbing his cheek. "Oh its you Zax...Darwen... Glad to see you guys made it to my party.", the dwarf grinned proudly.

"It's quite the get together you have here. You guys are moving up in the world, last time I recalled it was just the three of you at the bar trying to pester me .", replied Zax with a smirk.

"Aye..I remember that. Our wealth of course is due to our successes and we have you to thank for that! Speaking of thanks, here's your share of my ...investments at court. BEST INVESTMENT EVER!", boasted the dwarf loudly as he handed Zax a heavy satchel.

The tiefling knew the dwarf made some questionable bets at his duel. He even recalled him saying he would cut him in . Zax didn't actually believe there would be any money left , knowing Kirgi's propensity to spend. The tiefling opened the bag and was shocked at the gold and platnium trade bars with in. The tiefling seldom dealt with these types of funds in his carriage business, but he knew their worth. He quickly added the total up...

"Roughly 26 k . ", smiled Kirgi .

"By Koryis...I thought you blew all your cash on ...entertainers ...or something. ", gasped Zax in shock.

Darwen didn't appear too please at Zax's suggestion, and motioned that she was going to take a break. Zax motioned her away as he was still entranced by the cash.

"Yeah...great show you put on there. People actually thought you were going to lose. But old Kirgi knew better. Some of the odds that were being thrown around were ridiculous. Stupid Central Grommers !", the dwarf chuckled.

Zax looked at the money then paused. "ERrr...so I'm assuming if you gave this cash to me, you also gave it to Halvor and Petrus. ", the tiefling inquired which provoked a swift series of nods from the dwarf.

"So why are you doing this caravan thing? If it weren't for the trolls last time and the bonuses for rescuing the merchants we would have made roughly a thousand a piece. That's Grom nuts now. Given you can only make 4 or 5 caravan runs a year through that pass before the snow sets in , you just got 5 or 6 years of work there. ", Zax wondered out loud.

Kirgi shrugged. "Well , money is secondary for me...sure it keeps me supplied in booze and cheap women, but you know I crave action. Since I'm not an adventurer this is my best bet. I know they are raising an army to battle giants or some nonsense but the military life is not for me. B O R I N G...Petrus there is only going for one more trek through the mountains. Said he has some business back in Lower Lueders. Halvor is doing it for his honor. He already booked , over booked actually the caravan, and said something about tarnishing his family name if he abandoned ship right now. ", explained the dwarf.

Zax considered Kirgi's reputation and nodded. Although if in a similar situation he probably would have hired someone else to run the caravan . He knew that Halvor was different , he was the son of a baron or something. While Zax understood the importance of speaking and boasting about honor and valor, the tiefling was surprised people actually practiced it.

"Oh Zax...I want you to meet someone. I know you're busy busy busy , too busy to do caravan work, and that's cool. I would too if I was the talk of the town and shacking up with some hot elf...but you know that the caravan was successful , in no small part due to your reputation. ", the dwarf said nervously as he motioned for the tiefling to follow him.

"Well...to set matters straight, I didn't advertise you weren't coming with us...but I didn't make it publicly known either. ", continued the dwarf. Zax's eyes narrowed and wondered what type of shenanigans Kirgi was up to. "So I kind of hired a guy that would keep the merchants placated. The cool thing is ...his name is Zax too! Technically I'm not even lying...well not really lying..."

"LADY ZAHAX! ", shouted a large muscular orange tiefling as Zax and Kirgi made their way to a boisterous table. The many was surrounded by several fine specimens of elven and human women, who giggled and parted as their large companion got up and pushed them casually aside.

"That was an amazing speech the other night. I've never heard anything so inspiring from someone at those meetings. I just want to say its an honor to meet you in person. Oh look at me ...I'm so nervous I'm sweating. Who would have thought that I would be employed as a guard captain for the Broken Mountain Caravan and meet the famous Lady Zahax in the same day.", gushed Yperion , known more commonly as Big Zax , as some of his orange body paint began to drip off.

Zax was shocked. Someone was using his good name ! He turned angrily at the dwarf but Kirgi just winked at Zax and gave him a knowing nod. "Don't worry I'll cut you some coin for using your name."

* * *

><p>Isula wasn't too keen on going to this "party". The parties thrown by her people were blood thirsty affairs, that normally ended up with a couple of giants brawling with axes or breaking things over their heads. Isula knew that the shorter races did not partake in such affairs. They were more interested in the drinks and cavorting side of things. When Sarin told them that the caravan was throwing a party for old and new caravan members she did not even consider going, however given the choice of this "social" gathering or listening to the brooding and crying of Lady Sharliss quickly changed her mind.<p>

She didn't understand the half fiend at all. Isula appreciated the priestess's kindness and wisdom but could not reason why she was so broken up after losing her mate. Amongst giants if a couple split, they either moved on , fought to the death, or on special occasions declare a blood feud that would encompass both of their families. Reconciliation rarely happened as giants were normally too short tempered. Attempts to get back together normally resulted in the fighting or feud options. She understood "mindless" violence but found it a bit primitive and one of the reason's her people hadn't advanced culturally in the last millennium or two.

The party itself was boring and the people dull . Most only glanced at her before moving on. It didn't bother Isula though, she had other pursuits to keep her occupied. The miniature giant found the inn's exotic food above average to excellent. Foodstuffs were limited in the frozen north and she quite enjoyed the wide range of meats, vegetables and most importantly spices that were offered in the lands of the lesser races. Also, the wide range of beverages the inn served were quite amazing, unlike the grog and potato spirits brewed or stolen by her people. She examined the bottles and expected them to be from exotic locations around the world. She was surprised that they were all bottled from the same location , some place called the Plateau by a person or company called Fetch.

When Sarin left to attend to "business". Isula found herself alone with her food and drink. It didn't bother her but it did make her a bit home sick for the Frozen wastelands of her people. Sharliss and Walrusman were good company but their ways and methods always struck her as odd. Amongst her people, the strong dominated the weak, and had no problems showing off their power to demonstrate their social standing. The odd priestess and the fat half elf seemed content in hiding their power however. The giant knew that Walrus man was a mighty warrior at least as capable if not more capable then any warrior from her tribe. The priestess also commanded powerful magics, as great as any shaman she knew. Even more amazing was the wagon they traveled in. It reminded Isula of the dreaded tales of Baba Yaga who traveled the north in a magical chicken footed shack which was much bigger on the inside then outside. She knew the pair could easily defeat anyone in this tavern , herself included , but always maintained a low profile . She asked Sharliss about this once at dinner , and she simply stated something to the effect that the strong should help the weak not conqueror them. When she posed the question to Walrus man, he simply shrugged and asked if she was going to finish her plate.

Isula was lost in her thoughts when she felt she was being observed. Being a Jättiläinen vaimo , or "giant wife" she was attuned in the magical, spiritual and physical worlds. She could sense if someone was using arcane or divine magic to spy on her as well as more mundane methods. She sensed a divination spell and some degree of observation was directed at her in the tavern. Her spear ,(which Sarin annoyingly called a bladed staff) was shrunk at her side, but she refrained from using it at this point. She scanned the room till her gaze locked with one of the caravan guards. A thin man with a hard edge to his features, wearing a dark foreign uniform. Quite the contrast to the giant who appeared to be a youthful fresh faced girl wearing ornate white and blue armor. The two exchanged hard glances with each other till Isula got up and stomped towards him.

"Why are you staring at me...and casting spells? Amongst my people that would be considered an insult. ", demanded the giant girl to Petrus. The tone of her voice suggested that she was ready to fight to avenge the insult delivered.

Petrus nodded coolly and an imposing ebony woman appeared from thin air, ready to challenge Isula if violence occurred.

"You're eidolon doesn't scare me. If I snap the summoner, she goes away. ", scoffed the giant.

Petrus was impressed with her knowledge of his rare profession and waved her to sit down. The giant was wary but obeyed anyways. At this point of the conversation, men or giants would be blubbering for their lives but this magician was curiously unafraid.

"Forgive me for my stares, but I am not too skilled with the social graces. Casting spells in a social environment such as this is considered bad form everywhere, but I wanted to determine if you posed a threat to my companions and myself.", stated the Summoner simply without actually apologizing.

"Well...am I a threat?", asked Isula, even more intrigued at the man's arrogance.

Petrus shrugged, "I have not determined that yet. If I recalled you were the giant my associates retrieved . I was curious why you are still with the priestess. I am even more curious why you hadn't continue your attacks on Zax when you recovered. I recall hearing tales of some small primitive tribes of Frost giants in the Shattered Mountains, but judging by your armor ...you are not from that group are you.", answered the Summoner.

Isula stared at the man and gauged if she could smash him into the ground before the Eidolon at his side could stop her. She had heard that her people were waging war once again amongst the lesser races , and was sure that most of the tavern's patrons including Sarin would try to stop her. She welcomed the challenge but wondered if she was seeking combat just for the sake of violence. She considered herself above engaging in mindless combat like the bulk of her people, but here she was contemplating it. The man was arrogant but at least he was truthful, and more important unafraid. Two things her people value greatly.

Her desire for combat subsided, and she slumped into her chair.

Petrus smiled and poured her a drink sensing the danger had passed. "Let's try this again. Hello my name is Petrus and this is my Eidolon Adria. ", the summoner said with a smile.

"Isula.", answered the giant curiously noting that she was enjoying the party a bit more.

* * *

><p>Darwen hated these parties. She only came because Zax wanted to. She wasn't the most social person to begin with , and the crowded tavern just reminded herself of that.<p>

She watched Zax flirt innocently with the waitress, then laughed merrily with his old companions. She marveled at how her "date" could fit right in no matter the crowd. They could be rough dock workers, noble aristocrats, or even hardened soldiers. It was a knack of his that she found herself jealous of. Things were not easy for Darwen , being an elf in a human world, it must be nice to able to blend in so easily like that.

Darwen stopped and admonished herself for being so short sighted. As hard as it was for her to adapt, it must have been much worse for Zax. Elves were tolerated, tieflings were hated. Even though their were rumors of secret laws made by the Grommers to keep elves in check, she knew there was actual legislation in place to subjugate tieflings. Also the fact that most humans admired or thought elves to be pretty made things much easier for Darwen. She wondered how she would have ended up if she was found unattractive or ugly. Tieflings were always considered unusual or even down right ugly. Even Zax's "normal" appearance was not that appealing. He had that gangly adolescent kid look to him that people found hard to take seriously. Despite all his disadvantages and all her advantages , their social roles seemed reversed. She was standing in the corner alone with her drink, while Zax was the life of the party.

Darwen wanted to be at Zax's side, but found herself unable to advance. "I wouldn't fit in . I won't have anything to add to their conversation let alone talk about . ", she rationalized to herself.

A light touch brushed her shoulder. Darwen turned and noticed no one was there.

"Haha! Got you! ", laughed Sarin from the other side . The elven bladesinger suddenly realized that she was the subject of a bar prank . She normally would have caught something so simple, but she guessed it was either the large half elf's deceptive dexterity or the fact she was on her 6th glass of spirits.

"I didn't expect to see you here.", replied Darwen glumly still staring at Zax.

"Yeah, I got the invite and didn't think I was going to come either, but Sharliss insisted I come and deliver a message. So..I made the best of it, grabbed Isula and made my way here. Its a pretty rockin party so far, its like free food and an open bar!", the half elf said ...with emphasis on the "free food".

"A message?", Darwen asked inquisitively.

Sarin shrugged," She had a bad break up with that Hal guy. Girls that young take everything too seriously. I'm not a delivery boy, but the crying was driving me nuts. That's another reason to leave. Sadly he's not here. So I made this trip for nothing I guess, well except the grub and booze. " , said the half elf while scanning the room and more specifically the rafters intently.

"She's not here . She's on the roof.", said Darwen calmly while drinking her 7th glass of spirits.

"What! You can see her? Where is she? I can't even spot Nymk and I've been looking. ", exclaimed Sarin in surprise.

"Actually I didn't know anything till now. I just repeated what Sharliss said the other day. Don't worry , you guys can play your little games. I won't say a word. " , the elf said while draining her glass. She waved the waitress over for another drink.

"errr...thanks...Anyways. I was hoping you were going to be here. We don't hang in the same circles so to speak , and with Hal and Shar not speaking I might not see you for awhile. ", said the half elf shyly.

Darwen raised an eyebrow. Was Sarin trying to pick her up? With Zax in the room and possibly Nymk on the roof or rafters? She didn't particularly find the fat half elf that attractive. He was less appealing physically then Zax in her eyes. Sure he was easy to talk to , and funny at times but she hoped this wouldn't degenerate into an awkward situation.

"Here..remember that armor and stuff I was talking about. I dug through my stuff , I would like you to have this. You know as part of the "tribe" and all. I heard your blade got busted up pretty good, well good luck breaking this thing. I used it to wedge a steel door open once, still good as new afterwards. ", the half elf boasted as he presented her with a beat up box , tied together by twine. It appeared to have been one of the left over parcels from Sharliss's big shopping trip the other day.

Darwen shook her head, once again she had read the situation incorrectly. It still seemed like an odd thing to do, but she saw no lust or desire from the flabby paladin. She opened the light weight box and her jaw dropped.

She stood still for awhile till the waitress returned with her drink. She promptly drank it and ordered another one . "This...this is a full suit of mithral chain mail with celestial runes on it , only the old elven knights that guarded the Ice Princess wore this and this blade...it looks exactly like my master's weapon. The blade Ananaur...look it even has the same scratches and nicks on the hilt. He was buried with it ! ", the elf said in amazement.

"Errr...yeah ...my bad. ", grumbled the half elf. "Look ..this is a reproduction of that famous weapon. This one is umm...Sananaur a completely different item then Ananaur . They even got the scratches down.", Sarin explained while sweating.

"Sananaur? That's not even a word in the elven tongue. Look the scabbard even has the words Ananaur written on it.", replied the elf while marveling at the weapon.

"The craftsman was a really bad speller? Look...trust me ..this is not your masters weapon. I didn't dig up your old master. I ...umm... I got this stuff from my grandmother, she likes to collect reproductions of elven relics. You know some grandmas collect commemorative plates, others have doll collections, mine collects reproduction elven items. She gave me a bunch of this junk when she returned to her ...", the elf paused and he pondered for an appropriate word.

"...place of residence... its clogging up my wagon , so I want to donate it to people in our tribe that can use it. Its not like I can use this anyways. Its like mini petite ... Look at my gut, I need the extra extra plus plus large version of that armor, and swords aren't my thing. I use spears ..If you feel its too much, well consider it a loan. Give it back to me when you get something better. ", shrugged the big paladin.

The elf blinked at the ridiculous story the paladin told. She was at a loss of words. She leaned close to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you. ", the bladesinger finally said. It was the only thing that she could think of . She noted that despite his bulk he smelled really good. Sarin gave her an awkward wave , and returned to the party. The elf stood against the wall gazing at these rare treasures given to her. A quick spell determined they were indeed real. As she was lost in thought at this strange turn of events the waitress returned with her 9th beverage and she quickly downed it. She looked again at the large paladin pushing his way across the tavern and wondered if he would look any more attractive if she started to drink seriously.

* * *

><p>"Another tankard of dwarven ale for myself, Avernus Spirits for Big Zax here...and one of those Grom thais for Lady Zahax ! ", laughed Kirgi as he ordered another round . Zax would have been mad but he was enjoying the buzz from the previous 2 or 3 drinks too much to notice. The Big Zax idea of Kirgi's was really quite clever . Zax thought he could double his business back home if he hired a body double for himself.<p>

"Oh Zax. I wanted to mention this earlier, but did you notice something strange about the guy you dueled the other day? ", Kirgi asked.

Big Zax pointed to himself and shrugged.

"No not you ...here take your drink and let me discuss things with the "Lady Zahax " here in private. ", smirked Kirgi. Big Zax agreed to his suggestion and rejoined the girls he was with earlier.

"Whhaaaa?", asked the real much smaller Zax as the effect of the drinks were taking their toll. Although not a stranger to a tavern, he was a slight man and could not match drinks with the dwarf.

"You know. I was watching the fight. Did you notice the guy had a mace just like those fellows in the alley. Also I happen to catch a glimpse of one of his tattoos when your friend knocked that pauldron off of him. Same bird one as those ruffians from the alley.", said the dwarf thoughtfully.

Zax was even more confused. Why was Kirgi making more sense? Was the tiefling so drunk that the dwarf was beginning to sound coherent. Or maybe dwarven intelligence is directly related to the amount of alcohol in their blood stream.

"I also think your friend Nymk isn't all she seems. I don't buy that fatty Half elf was hiding her to avoid paying fees. Despite his pathetic attempts at haggling he also doesn't give a spit about money either. The guy's rich. I can tell. I bet she smuggled her way onto the caravan ...I don't know around the time of the goblins and giant. You saw how she was sitting with that Royal Adventurer and that gnome ambassador. Not subservient like a servant or a consort but as an equal. She's trouble I tell you.", continued the dwarf showing no sign of inebriation despite the amount he already drank.

"So Kirgi...If I wore a dress do you think I luuk prettty? Youse think Darwen would be inta tzat type of thing? I could be Lady Zahax and Sir Zax at the same timmee! ", declared Zax clearly blitzed out of his mind.

The dwarf paid him no heed and continued. "Watch your back my friend. I know you can handle yourself in a fight, but if they tried to take you out 8 on 1 in an alley they might try something dirty again. Keep an eye on your elf maid, I know she's more then just arm candy for you. I can tell by the way you treat her. It won't surprise me if your enemies will strike at her to get at you.", the dwarf spoke solemnly as he chugged another large mug of ale.

Zax stopped paying attention at this point. He rested his head on the nice hard table and dreamed. With the money he just received he could expand his business. Start up here in Grom City...or maybe something grander. Zax didn't know a thing about skyships, but they were the ultimate symbol of prestige and power in Grom. He knew he didn't have enough to buy one outright , but he could leverage his money, get some partners. It was an impossible dream but a few years ago when he was scraping a living off the streets of Lower Lueders he would have thought being a rich tiefling hero with powerful friends and an elven beauty at his side an impossible dream as well. As Zax drifted off to sleep, he thought of the how grand it would be to be a hero aboard a skyship.

* * *

><p>"This is an outrage! My work is almost finished ! The first trial forge is weeks away from completion. Why aren't we heading to Nazag Narg ? !" , shouted Colonel Clovis of the Third Army Enginseer Corp with his non nondescript scribe standing behind him. The Colonel had already loaded his crates aboard the GRS Indomitable, and was rightfully angry when told that special orders had arrived.<p>

"Sir. These orders are unusual. However we aren't heading to Grom City until the Captain confirms them. ", the Chief Petty Officer of the skyship said with a sigh at the outspoken Colonel. Everyone who had ever served with Clovis knew that he was just a glorified civilian . Someone that the petty officer would have put in his place long ago. If the Colonel was anyone else then he would have been treated accordingly , but orders were given that he was to be treated with "kid gloves". No one knew exactly why, but people suspected it must have been an incredible huge "donation".

"Wait...Grom City? In spring? Well...if we have to go ..we have to go. I understand. Scribe! Prepare an itinerary for me. Make sure we hit all the hot spots. When we get out of range of the Shattered Mountains get one of the mages to send a message spell to the following ladies, to inquire about their availability to escort me when we arrive...Scribe ? Earl ? Hmm ..I was sure he was standing right next to me. ", pondered the Colonel while thoughts of summer dresses and spring romance occupying his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Captain Rameriz froze as the nondescript scribe entered his chamber. He had his cutlass at his side and a dragon golem at the ready, but knew it would be useless if it came down to a fight. He looked at the man and then relaxed, if he was to be killed he probably would have never seen him. Earl and Rameriz were old friends, but the Captain still kept a healthy dose of paranoia when dealing with him.<p>

"Come to kill me already Earl?", asked the Captain with a smile as he reached for a flask of brandy and two tin cups.

"Not the fleet's best skyship Captain. At least not yet anyways. ", joked Sir Eggbert, the Lion of Grom , also known as Scribe first class Earl. Few people knew about the Empire's chief assassin, fewer still were on a first name basis with him. Rameriz chuckled to himself and at his friend's current guise. A lowly scribe to a ego inflated Enginseer.

"Fleet's best Captain eh? Well I think you need to qualify that. I'm certainly not the most decorated, the Great Admiral Douglas gets that honor, or the most experienced ...we still have that old goat Kasmir. ", chuckled Rameriz as he offered Earl a cup.

Earl took the glass and the pair of old veterans tipped their cups together in a silent toast. " I thank you for avoiding alerting people of my presence , but I want to inquire about these orders. From a Royal adventurer named Lord Quick. They seem highly unusual. ", asked the false scribe.

Rameriz nodded, "I was going to wait till later and ask you about them myself. To see if they are legit. I thought it might be some Royal Adventurer secret mission or something. Some of the other Captains in the squadron are mumbling too about their orders. ", the Captain responded.

"Other Captains?", Earl asked suddenly very intrigued. A frivolous order from a Royal Adventurer was one thing, commanding an entire squadron was definitely another. The Royal Sky Fleet was the back bone of Grom. It kept the massive sprawling empire linked. Even through anti magic zones, enemy territory and savage weather, the fleet managed to transport supplies , information, and soldiers to the far corners of the empire. As well as being the cornerstone of Grom Logistics, each ship also served as a mobile fortress in times of war. Mobilizing an entire squadron was unheard of except in times of war. Each vessel could be performing more serious missions , like ferrying troops for the upcoming campaign against the Frost Giants, search and destroy of the last remnants of the Dark River Horde , or even resupplying far off remote outposts.

Rameriz once again nodded and sighed, " 14 vessels in total. We are to make our way to Grom City where we have orders to coordinate deployment of Fairy Dragon Powder at a designated point roughly three miles north of the city. ", explained the Captain.

"Fairy Dragon Powder? Do they want you to attack the city or something? Is this a coup of some sort? ", mused Earl.

"No..no..no...Fairy Dragon Powder is a mixture of Dragon Powder which we use to create signals and sometimes fireworks. Some of the powders ordered are practically invisible to the naked eye. You can only spot them if you know to look for them and have a method of detecting them. Very hush hush top secret stuff. This ...plan however is not the first steps of a coup... I sense no attack, unless of course the attack orders are incoming when we reach our location. Even if we did get such orders, I have my doubts that any of the captains would bomb civilians or the capital. They will have to have political officers aboard like yourself to make us. Unless of course, that is the reason you are here.", chuckled Rameriz.

Earl pondered the situation. He did not know who this Lord Quick was and why he diverted an entire Squadron of Sky Ships to Grom City. He only knew the man was a senior Royal Adventurer of some renown but had never met him before . He had been too busy since his return from the north to check up on things in the Capital. He assumed he was just leaching off the Empire like that buffoon Governor Kerr . It didn't really matter to Earl what they did as long as control of the empire was kept. They might be thieves and brigands but they were powerful thieves and brigands that at least kept stability in the empire. There were few Royal Adventurer's the scribe trusted and this Quick person was definitely not one of them.

"Continue to follow these orders. I'll send papers to the other captains to ensure they will be on alert for any "political" take overs of their ships. If they try to sneak any assassins or Royal Adventurers aboard them, they have my permission to detain them. With lethal force if necessary. Prepare a skiff for me when we reach the outskirts of Grom City. I'll see what this Quick is up to.", ordered the scribe to the Captain.

Rameriz raised his glass in admiration to the efficiency of Sir Eggbert, The Lion of Grom , also known as Earl the scribe..then a humorous thought occurred to him.

"Oh ..does this order give me the right to try to detain you as well?", the Captain joked to his old friend.

"You can certainly try. ", the scribe smiled darkly .


	24. Chapter 24

"I can't believe you let him get that drunk. It's disgraceful. ", grumbled Halvor as he oversaw the moving caravan. He poked the unconscious dwarf as he lied on his side on a wagon off to the side of the road. The big knight was on a large horse and wore a dark cloak. He cut a grim image with his great axe at his side.

"You expect me to stand between a dwarf from getting his ale? I think not. ", chuckled Petrus as he watched his brooding leader.

Halvor paused and looked at the normally solemn Petrus. "You're in an oddly good mood today. Are you like Kirgi there? Do you miss the open road?", the big knight inquired.

Petrus considered his companions question. "No..you just missed a real good party. I know you have your little drama episode going on, but you should have came anyways. Have some fun..meet new people...", the summoner said before he was silenced by the big knight's cold stare.

As the caravan continued. Halvor made note that there were 25 wagons this time. Much bigger then the previous one. Their reputation for braving the Broken Mountains attracted many merchants and other travelers. Even the First Army of Grom , decided to sign up . Halvor and his companions saw first hand how stretched the army was at Fortress Grom. It came to no surprise that they hired auxiliaries , mercenaries and security contractors to supplement their forces. The big knight was extremely honored at being asked by the Army to attend to their matters and knew that it brought great prestige to his friends, himself, and to the House of Veb.

He recalled his pride turn to bitterness as Sharliss asked him to stay for her graduation . She had enrolled in the Academy and her instructors were surprised that she had already exceeded the skill of most journeymen mages. She had hoped that he would stay for her graduation but Halvor told her that he had to escort to the caravan back to Lower Lueders , not only to ensure the reputation of his buisness but as a matter of honor . What started as a small misunderstanding became a small argument. Of course this small argument then escalated for no reason other then to save face , and the pair soon found themselves seemingly in an irreconcilable situation.

Halvor considered attempting to make it up to her, but the more he thought about it the more he realized they were really worlds a part. She was some divine and arcane using half fiend, he was just a simple landless son of a baron. They had nothing in common save a few chaste nights spent together in the past two weeks. The big knight faced much adversity in his trials to make a name for himself, and this was just another one. Or so Halvor thought to himself.

As Halvor began to brood again, a low moan broke his concentration.

"Ah, the Master Businessman awakes.", noted Petrus.

"Oi...it must have been a good party if I can hardly remember what happened.", said the young spiky haired dwarf. Kirgi stopped and looked at his surroundings especially the position of the sun.

"Where are we? Did we leave already?", the dwarf asked as he took in his environment.

"We left early. We couldn't wait till you woke up. So we got a head start . We have a lot of wagons to watch you know. That just means more things to go wrong. ", said Halvor gruffly.

"How are those boys I hired working out?", inquired Kirgi attempting to change the subject.

Petrus shrugged, " The tieflings? They seem tough enough, don't talk much, but at least they follow orders. They have the added point of being able to scare the merchants if they get out of line. That's a plus. ", the summoner explained.

"Oh great. I was hoping they would be useless. More action for me. Looks like another boring caravan run boys. ", Kirgi said bitterly. The dwarf had hoped for some excitement, but it looked like just another repetitive chapter in his dull life.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick smiled at the lovely Lady Sharliss. She returned his attention with a guarded smile of her own. The dinner was going according to plan save for a few unexpected guests.<p>

From the information he had gathered, he expected the Zug Folk Sarin to come. He looked unremarkable but the elf Lord knew the secrets he kept. He was more then the mere bodyguard he appeared to be. The strange girl Isula and the tiefling maid Lilithy also accompanied Sharliss. Quick didn't expect to share his table with Sharliss's servants but relented if it furthered his plans. The woman seemed to have a soft spot for her hirelings, and the elf lord was happy to appear to share her beliefs. Or at least to pretend to. He would have them all removed after his plot came to its ultimate fruition.

"This grub is great. ", said Sarin happily as he literally devoured the feast before him. He waved at a nondescript servant to refill his wine glass as he helped himself to another serving .

"Yes...I do not concern myself with their preparations, but my chefs tell me that they're from the four corners of Grom. Meats from McDunnalds, mushrooms from Vorin Narg, spices from Barkwark, and melons from the Shire of Buckwheat. Please do enjoy yourself. ", the elven lord said with his strange whispery voice.

The paladin stared at the elf. "Do you need a cough drop or something. When we first met, I thought you had a cold...but that raspy voice thing ..its still there. ", asked the half elf rudely.

Lord Quick glared angrily at the paladin but his gaze relaxed when he saw Sharliss was looking at him intently as well. "It's a wound I suffered when I was young. I fought a frost salamander in the Black Hills. I could have had it healed, but I enjoy the fear my unique voice evokes. ", explained the elf.

Sarin gave a "whatever" shrug and returned to his meal.

The elf Lord noticed that the Lady Sharliss was very quiet that evening. He looked at the portrait of his second wife hanging on the wall, and decided it was now or never.

The elf lord rose from his feet and walked towards the great window overshadowing the dining room. "Do you believe in destiny Lady Sharliss?", Quick asked in a smug voice.

The priestess shrugged ,"My father use to talk about things like that, and told me he once saw the threads of fate. He said it looked like a big jumble of twine. He also noted that most gods can't decipher it . So I guess it becomes a philosophical question then. Do you believe in something that you can't possibly perceive. Its a classic case of faith versus logic. "

Lord Quick was happy she answered but did not expect such a complicated one. He dismissed her speech and continued with his. "I believe in destiny as well. For one , I believe in love at true sight. Do you believe in that?"

Sharliss looked stunned at Quick's statement. A hint of worry crossed her face and she paused deep in thought. "Ye..yes...I do.", she stammered in shame.

Lord Quick smiled, all was according to plan. He hoped that was her answer, it made things so much easier now. He drew the curtains wide open and pointed to the night sky.

"Wait...what's with all the smoke. There's a fire. Several Fires. ", said Sarin as he observed the sight of the burning city revealed by the elf lord.

Lord Quick seemed equally surprised. "What's going on out there. It looks like there's a battle going on down there. Why haven't the alarms been sounded.", demanded the elf in shock.

The battle before them was much worse then he described. From his high estates view, it looked like several hundred armed mercenaries battling guards and soldiers. What was more curious were that the attackers rode huge war beasts and were sweeping aside the defenders with ease.

Sarin rose up, and drew his spear from his magical pack. He whistled and a monstrous wolf seemed to appear out of nowhere and growled menacingly at the elf and servants. "Isula come with me. Freiki watch Sharliss and Lilithy. ", the half elf ordered with a commanding voice.

The paladin and miniature giant quickly donned their armor and weapons and stormed their way to investigate the riot or battle outside.

Sharliss knew not to question her guardian especially in a serious situation as this. "Aren't you going to help?", she asked Lord Quick giving him a disapproving glare.

"Of course not. I am a Royal Adventurer. I do not handle riots, it is beneath my station . I have guards and soldiers that handle that. Now as I was saying . I believe in love at first sight as well. When I first saw you , I knew our fates would be intertwined. ", the elf smiled contemptuously.

Sharliss gazed at the man in confusion. "I ..don't think now is the time. There's a full scale battle outside.", she said pointing at the growing fires and the fierce battle raging a few blocks away from Quick's estate.

"I told you , that I do not handle trivial matters such as this. I...", the elf stated before he was suddenly interrupted.

*CRASH*

The windows of the estate were shattered as 3 large armored Griffons burst through them.

Quick turned to see Sharliss and her servant quickly vacate the room . Only a single nondescript servant and himself were in the room with the interlopers.

"Find the abomination. Kill everyone else!", the lead Griffon rider ordered.

"Now this...this is something I can handle. ", whispered the elf with a dire tone to his voice. He drew his elven rapier and prepared for battle against the intruders.

* * *

><p>"What's going on !", demanded Zax as he watched the carnage outside his villa.<p>

Darwen appeared and was wearing a silver leaf emblazoned suit of chain mail instead of the breast plate with leather he bought for her. The tiefling wondered where was the outfit he got her, but thought this was fairly stylish and attractive as well. It was good that she was developing her own fashion style he thought.

"Get some armor and weapons on. The battle is headed this way. ", the elf ordered in a commanding military tone.

Zax considered fleeing, but thought she was probably right. He was probably faster without armor, but it also made him an easier target for these "raiders". At least with armor, his attackers might choose someone else before messing with him. Zax retrieved his satchel and started scouring it for his "adventuring gear". The first thing he pulled out was the old armor and gear that the Ivanovic fellow gave him. It appeared too heavy for the tiefling and he pushed it aside to find his chain shirt.

"Put that on. No time to dig around. ", Darwen said while carefully observing the violence outside.

"Why hasn't the alarm rung yet?", Zax asked as he obeyed the elf's command and fumbled with the armor.

"I don't know, but it looks like the entire city is under siege. A surprise attack of some sort. ", the elf replied. "It looks like knights. I see banners of the boar, mammoth, lion...even those griffon guys."

"The knights are attacking us? I thought they were our allies ! Why attack us now , when we are sending them aid to battle the giants? This makes no sense. ", replied Zax as he struggled with the armor. Darwen did not answer him but saw him tangled with his gear and helped the tiefling with the last straps and buckles. Zax thought it would have been faster if he would have dug out his chain shirt instead of struggling with this heavy suit.

Suddenly the armored flashed a blue glow, and the armor was replaced with a sturdy chain shirt made of the finest steel.

"Whoa.", said Zax admiring his magical transforming armor.

"Glamour..or at least something similar. ", said the elf cryptically. "No time to gawk. We should join the defenders. ", the elf continued as she darted out the door. Zax was surprised that even with her heavy chain mail, she moved like the wind. She seemed more mobile now then when she was wearing the breast plate he bought her.

Zax considered arguing with her. He would have preferred to just run away. However this street to street warfare wasn't a typical battlefield. He wasn't sure where the battle lines were drawn. It seemed to the tiefling that if he ran away he would face an equal chance of encountering the enemy. If these were indeed northern knights, then they had no love for tieflings. Better to find a large group of guardsmen and stick with them. There was always safety in numbers or at the very least it presented the enemy with more targets to choose from as the tiefling ran for his life.

Zax still hadn't replaced his rapier crushed by Sir Cheatface so strapped the heavy broadsword that came with the armor. To his surprise it transformed into a sturdy and serviceable rapier. He continued with his experiment and grasped the pole with the dog flag on it. As expected it changed into a sturdy club which he place on his side.

"Sweet. These toys rule. I'm like a real hero or something. " , proudly thought the tiefling as he pursued his lovely companion.

* * *

><p>Halvor looked skyward when he noticed several large bird lion hybrids . On top of them appeared to be armored riders. "Are those griffons ? Do we get a military escort or something? ", the big knight asked .<p>

Kirgi stared upwards, "Yeah those are griffons. The really rich nobles ride them in the dwarf holds, and I heard several human military orders employ them as well. ", the dwarf stated.

"So...what are they doing here? I wasn't informed of an escort. I would have reduced the guards we hired if I knew we were getting free help. ", stated the big knight in an irritable voice.

Petrus sensed something was wrong...and began casting defensive spells. "I don't think they're an escort. Get ready!", ordered the summoner.

The half dozen griffons soared once past the caravan, and Halvor breathed a sigh of relief. Petrus was obviously over reacting. Then the griffons returned , their bomb path scouted, and began dropping pots of alchemist fire atop the caravan.

* * *

><p>A massive short haired mammoth thundered towards Sarin. The half elf held the gates of the villa valiantly with Lord Quick's guards, but the sheer weight of their enemy had taken their toll on the defenders. To the guards credit , they held their ground and died standing. Sarin expected them to run, but their fear of their lord was greater then that of the enemies they faced.<p>

The paladin channeled some healing energy into himself and readied his spear for the invader's eventual charge. Although his allies laid dead or dying, the enemy suffered the same fate too. He knew he must keep the gate or else the estate would be over run by the enemy. The enemy suffered casualties too, if he could just hold them off one more time, he would have time to get Sharliss and find a way out of this chaotic mess while they regrouped.

The hairy monster trumpeted a challenge as the knight and mount charged the paladin. Sarin set his weapon and took aim. It was a slim chance, but he hoped to pierce the rider before the mammoth crushed him. There was a small chance that without a rider the mammoth would deviate from its attack. It was a slim odds of survival but Sarin knew it was the best he had.

As the mammoth thundered towards its prey, suddenly a blur of blue and white crashed into it from its side. The creature trumpeted in pain as its side was pierced by a massive bladed staff wielded by a 15 foot tall giant. The huge mount faltered and crashed to its side. The giant gave a shrill war cry that struck panic into the surrounding enemies. Sarin took the opportunity to strike at the mammoths stunned rider, and dispatched him with a single thrust of his own spear through the chest.

"Sorry. I got lost. Its a big estate. ", smiled the giant Isula.

Sarin nodded and motioned for her to fall back. The enemy would return in force soon.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick could not believe this. All his preparation gone up in smoke. It was a simple enough matter to hire the best chef in Grom City. Slightly harder to gather the ingredients for a grand feast , and almost impossible to summon an entire squadron of Grommish Royal Skyships. Despite the difficulties that faced him, the elf lord pulled enough strings and favors to accomplish this. Now as the final stroke of his plan was almost complete, these Griffon knights dared interrupt his party.<p>

The elf invoked a few spells, before darting like a wraith between the griffons and their riders. Skilled as they were , the knights were no match for the enraged elf. Quick slew two knights and their mounts before the third could react. He dispatched them with blows to the throat. They would bleed to death painfully, choking on their own blood. A fitting death for those that crossed him. The third knight seemed a bit more competent then his fellows and tossed some sort of jar at the elf. Quick suspected some sort of explosive or flammable oil, but was greeted with a choking green cloud instead. The elf's eyes swelled and he coughed at this unexpected attack and was met with a heavy mace blow to the head.

The elf fell back, and began weaving a defensive pattern with his blade at his unseen attacker. He squinted his eyes and hoped some tears would wipe away the green dust in his eyes. He was coughing too much to invoke a spell, and was too blinded to fight effectively. A sharp talon slashed his side and he felt a hard beak pierce his shoulders. The elf struck instinctively lashed at his attacker and was awarded with a shrill squawk. He staggered back and could hear his attacker cursing . He knew he hurt or slain the griffon but its rider was a different matter. If it was a griffon knight, he fully expected to be pierced by arrows before he could counter attack.

A muffled cry of pain came from the direction of the griffon rider. Quick squinted his eyes again and saw a blurry vision of his attacker struck down by one of the carving knives from dinner in the back. A nondescript servant withdrew the blade with a flourish then threw the cooking tool aside and retrieved a serviceable mace and a bow from the slain knight before helping the elf.

"There's more outside . We should move. ", said the butler.

"Remind me to give you a raise. ", sputtered the elf painfully as the servant helped him limp out of the room.

* * *

><p>Captain Rameriz conferred with Captain Kasmir through the magical crystal.<p>

"It looks like a full scale attack on the city. ", Rameriz stated grimly.

"No...despite the savagery of the attack its all a ruse. They do not have the numbers to hold the city , let alone conqueror it. ", corrected the senior Sky Captain.

"Should we aid the defenders ? What about our orders ?", asked Rameriz.

"I've examined the munitions. They are harmless enough. Just enchanted signal powders. Some can't even be seen by the naked eye. I do not understand their purpose but our orders are quite clear. Drop the munitions at the designated time and location. After that, I see no reason not to aid our fellow Grommers. Even decadent Central Grommers need a helping hand once in a while. I'll keep several ships as reserve, I'll let you and the others lead the "cavalry" so to speak. ", Kasmir replied.

"Yes sir.", saluted Rameriz through the crystal. It could be a trap, they might be playing into the enemies hands , but Sky Captains weren't known to sit back and watch passively. He will drop the powders then engage in battle. There were no signs that political officers had smuggled themselves into his ship, and he fully trusted his crew. The only person that he wasn't completely sure of was Colonel Clovis , but he had the protection of Sir Eggbert. He would assign a guard to keep an eye on him during the fray.

* * *

><p>A large armored knight confronted Sharliss and Lilithy in the windowed corridor. He looked at them curiously and approached them with mace and shield in hand.<p>

Sharliss attempted a hold spell , but the knight shrugged off the enchantment and marched forwards unimpeded.

Lilithy uttered some mystical words and a ray of scorching fire struck the armored warrior, but his advance did not stop. The knight picked up the pace, and smashed the bird faced tiefling with his mace as he advanced. The young girl fell with a gurgle and slumped to the ground. Sharliss gasped at the violence, but could tell her friend wasn't slain yet. Lilithy spat blood and attempted to rise. The big knight raised his foot and prepared to stomp his iron shod boot into the girls back.

Then the battle stopped. The sky north of the city was lit up , and combatants from both sides stared at the sight before them.

* * *

><p>"M- A - - - Y M - E S -H -A - -L - I -S -S ? May me shaliss? What does that even mean ?", asked Zax as he stared into the northern sky.<p>

Darwen paused and looked at the signals that were just dropped. "Its missing some letters. They're using special signal powders. We use them occasionally in Fortress Grom, but normally the entire message is hidden that way. And we never used big letters like that. It was always symbols . ", the elf explained.

"Well...can't say that surprises me . Everything is turned upside down these days. ", replied the tiefling as the pair scrambled through an alley of the war torn city.

* * *

><p>Four of the mercenaries waited at the edge of the alley. The plan presented to them was working smoothly so far. The north gate would be open to them. They would ride into the city and do the rape and pillage thing for several hours or till the signal was given. They they would then ride away and scatter with their loot and women. So far they received plenty of pillaging, not so much in raping though.<p>

They spotted the two women heading towards them from the alley, and they waited in ambush. The small groups leader shuddered at the thought of touching the elf woman, his northern instincts shuddered at contact with that race. The tiefling girl however, she might be amusing for a little while. They were despised in the north, but the small group's leader admitted he a fetish for those deformed women. A bag or sack over the head would be needed though.

*Thunk*

The three remaining bandits looked as their leader was slain by a black arrow through the neck. They scanned quickly the windows and rooftops for their attacker as they took cover.

*Thunk*

Another mercenary fell from an arrow in the back. Despite the man's heavy armor the archer found a weak spot and slew him with one shot.

The two remaining bandits knew that their fun was over and quickly ran in opposite directions.

*Thunk*

*Whish*

*Thunk*

* * *

><p>"Damn, I missed once. I'm getting sloppy. ", thought Nymk as she dispatched the remaining bandits that were waiting in ambush for Zax. Although they ran in opposite directions the archer was disappointed with herself that she missed a shot. Not because she was short on arrows, but it was more a point of professional pride.<p>

As she scanned for more obstacles that might confront Zax, she noticed the strange message in the northern sky. She saw several hidden letters in the night sky, and wondered who would go to such lengths to place hidden messages next to visible ones. As her eyes focused on the exact nature of the message, the swords woman chuckled at the absurdity of the message.

She nocked an arrow with a smile, and hoped she had a chance to relay this message to Sarin after the battle.

* * *

><p>Stormfeather hovered on his griffon and snarled at his subordinates in a rage. His plan was falling to pieces before it really began. He had underestimated these Grommers. Somehow they read his troop movements, and had an entire squadron of Skyships waiting for him. A griffon was faster then one of the Grommish Flying barges , but the vessels were tireless. They would pursue and run them down long before they made their way back to Griffon Hold.<p>

Even if they could secure the target, the losses would be staggering. One skyship could change the tide of battle. A dozen would require the entire Order of the Griffon to repulse.

As the Griffon Prince watched the battle unfold he was faced with a bitter decision. Retreat now and possibly preserve himself and his reserve. Or commit them now for a small chance that they could still secure the abomination. The Arbiter of Ice faced a daunting decision. A minor victory at best or to admit failure. Even if he did retreat, he would still have to contend with his foes harassing him as he fled, and the even more grim prospect at confronting his loss to his father.

Stormfeather sighed and signaled for the reserves to commit. Win or lose, the battle will be glorious. The Grommers will remember this day for a long time.

As the Arbiter of Ice watched over one hundred Griffon riders descend from the clouds. He had had to admit grudgingly that his opponent was worthy of respect. He wondered what type of strategic genius was he facing.

* * *

><p>"How come I can't see the R's ? This is an outrage! I spent all that effort and money then they screw up the Rs. ", sputtered Lord Quick as he squinted his swollen eyes at the northern sky.<p>

His servant looked at the message and began to chuckle. Then he laughed long and hard.

"Hey ...it might be funny for you, but my ass is going to be on the line here. It's bad enough I called in favors to summon the fleet, but at least they could get the message right. Those northern Grommers are a bit stuck up you know. They might get all pissed off and send assassins or something after me. ", the elf whispered in despair. His grand plot to woo and marry the influential Lady Sharliss had failed miserably. First his party was interrupted now his declaration of Love was misspelled. He knew the dangers but gladly accepted them if it meant he could add the Lady Sharliss to his long list of marriages. To be the son in law of the Warmaster would have solved his northern Grom problem and put him in good standing with the knights. The new emerging global power in Swift's opinion.

"This was all an attempt to win over Fetch's little girl?", asked the nondescript servant.

"Basically. Think I should have gone for something more simple like a dozen roses or something ? ", smiled the elf weakly in return.

* * *

><p>As the knight stared at the strange message in the sky, Sharliss intoned an arcane spell and the warrior was thrown to the side. Suddenly a giant reddish wolf pounced on him from the darkness. The massive beast grasped the knights arm and shook him violently before throwing the over matched warrior out the window.<p>

Sharliss ran to Lilithy's side and intoned a healing prayer on her, "Don't do that again. I have protections up , you don't . ", she scolded gently.

Lilithy nodded at her mistress. She had seen the wolf Freiki before but it was much smaller. The tiefling woman was once again in awe of her mistress. She knew that Sharliss had ample mastery of divine magics but didn't think she had mastered the arcane side of things so proficiently as well. She knew that Sharliss was attending the Great Academy to hone her wizard skills, she didn't realize her art was already so great.

"We need to find Sarin. This is worse then I thought." , the priestess added as she looked once again out the window. Her vision was better then most in the dark and she shuddered in fright as she saw over a hundred griffons and battle hardened knights descended on Lord Quick's estate.


	25. Chapter 25

"You three, get those merchants to cover! You four, put those wagons out! Rest of you guards form up a secondary firing line! Kirgi get on that hill with your crossbow! ", shouted Halvor. Kirgi nodded at the command, although he favored axes, he was still a ranger and a fair shot. Halvor then waved at Petrus to stay in cover . The vulnerable summoner would remain hidden ,held in reserve until the enemy decided to close. The knight had never fought against griffon mounted foes but had studied a book detailing their tactics written by the famous General Olive. They preferred to use range weapons from above and drop projectiles on their enemies till their foes were weak and scattered enough to attack directly. Halvor knew it was hopeless but he had nothing to lose at that point. In the past he had shrugged or avoided his leadership responsibilities but when faced with fiery death from above, he had no choice but to take the mantle of command.

The Grommer military contingent seemed more worried about their own cargo then the merchants around them, and they disregarded Halvor's orders and decided to push forward. The big knight was furious but knew he had other things to worry about as the griffons continued their fiery assault. He fired his crossbow and cursed as the swift griffons easily dodged his bow.

"Hal, come here. ", Petrus said calmly, as he remained in cover behind some rocks. The knight thought his presence was needed in the battle, but thought the summoner might have some enchantment to aid him. He took another shot then scrambled to his companion.

Petrus waved at the carnage before them. Despite the fiery assault only one wagon was still on fire and only a few men and mounts laid burning on the battlefield. " What's wrong with this picture?", the summoner asked.

"I don't have time for these games. Spit it out. ", the knight said in frustration.

"Oh the battle isn't as dire as it looks, we have lots of time I think. Mainly since we can't strike back at our attackers, they will be methodical in their strikes. Take a close look, if you were going to coordinate a small contingent of griffons to attack a large caravan what would you do?", the summoner asked again being more specific.

Halvor snarled , he respected Petrus but hated his superior attitude. The knight had studied the griffon's tactics before. They would concentrate their bombardment at the lead or rear of a column, then descend in force to slay their demoralized and wounded foes. They only had limited "bombs", so they needed to make lethal precision strikes. The knight examined the battlefield and noted the alchemist fire was evenly spread through out the caravan. Although the fire was deadly and brought a few men down, in the grand scheme of things, their current strategy was more of an annoyance. It would have been more effective if they focused their attacks.

"They're spreading their attacks.", replied Halvor sensing the summoner had more to say.

"Correct. I figure they only have one or two more bomb runs left . The question is why are they doing this? I doubt they are attempting to summon a fire elemental. Also they are using expensive alchemist fire, if it was just to scatter our forces , rocks could accomplish the same thing . ", noted Petrus.

Halvor nodded unsure of the exact line of reasoning, but sensing he was close to understanding it. " Their target is extremely flammable? Or maybe its extremely fire proof. Like the Grommish contingent? ", asked the knight cursing himself for not realizing the obvious earlier.

"No...if they were after our brave military friends they would be pursuing them right now. They are rather well marked, and to our collective disappointment , are leaving us behind. Note they are still attacking the main caravan. A good guess though, since they must be carrying something important. I suspect they aren't the real target , they must be after something or someone else of value. Can you think of anyone on the merchant manifest that might be important enough for them to attack like this instead of employing a simple assassins blade? A powerful noble perhaps . A retired general? ", asked the summoner after considering Halvor's comment.

The knight scanned the battle field, there was fire everywhere, most of the merchants and guards were taking cover against the canyon walls. His guards had set up two firing batteries. The second was scattered when a fire pot struck close to them. The first was still returning fire even though it was hit by several fire pots. Halvor watched the griffons and noted that as the battle drew on , their fire seemed to concentrate more on the remaining guards of the first line . Was it because they were still a threat? ...or maybe because they were the actual target. Through the smoke Halvor noted the remaining guard battery were the tieflings Kirgi had hired earlier. He watched as a particular large tiefling stood his ground rallying his fellows. He fired his crossbow and was rewarded with a squawk from over head. It was a minor wound to the griffon but it bolstered the guards morale none the less.

"Its Yperion...Big Zax! I assume they must think that's the real Zax out there. He has lots of enemies, knights included. They think he's traveling with our caravan! ", declared Halvor.

Petrus looked at his friend in shock, then nodded in agreement.

"Yes...I think you are correct. Now how can we use this information to our benefit ?", pondered the summoner.

Halvor nodded, it seemed like a good idea at the time to hire a facsimile of Zax, but now it has proved to be a disastrous decision. He looked at the attackers above and remembered the duel Zax had fought with the griffon knight earlier that week. Was the Famous Order of the Griffon so petty that they would attack Zax with a cowardly ambush? He fired his crossbow again , and wished his friend, the real Zax, had made the trip with them. He would know how to handle this situation.

* * *

><p>"We're gonna die!", screamed Zax as he ran in a circle. The enemy was closing in on them, or more accurately the bulk of the enemy force was heading towards them. Darwen noted that they weren't specifically targeting them, but knew they would engage them none the less if they were spotted.<p>

The elf grabbed the tiefling and yanked him towards her. She smothered his mouth against her chest to keep him from continuing to scream. Zax would have normally enjoyed that position but the fear of death from big men with big weapons riding big animals kept him from fully appreciating his close proximity to the elf. The pair pressed themselves against the alley wall as several large boar knights advanced through the streets. Zax had never encountered a boar warrior before , and was shocked at how savage and brutal they looked. They were more akin to armored barbarians then knights he thought frightfully as Darwen held him close.

One of the boars stopped and began sniffing the air. Zax tensed up and knew the giant pig had caught their scent. It wheeled its head to the side and began sniffing the alley. The tiefling sensed that Darwen was tensing up , ready to strike if their cover was blown. Zax tried to calm himself but could only think of being torn apart by the boars yellow tusks.

*Thunk*

The boar bellowed as an arrow struck its neck. It was a perfect shot, but the monstrous beast would not be felled so easily. Its rider scanned the surroundings and brought his shield up in time to block another arrow. "A bowman on the roof! Get him! ", he bellowed .

A roar came from the various knights and some screeches came from overhead as well. Zax guessed that the archer had drawn their pursuers attention and it gave him the perfect opportunity to leave. He prepared to bolt further down the alley . Maybe he could find a hiding spot till this blew over or find an entrance to the sewer. A few rats were nothing compared to a giant tiefling gobbling boar.

As the tiefling turned , he saw Darwen advance with her blade towards the distracted boar. Zax wanted to yell at her, but feared it would reveal his location. The elf crouched and roll at the hind quarters of the beast . The tiefling thought it would be a futile attack. If the beast's thick hide could stop an arrow to the neck, a sword to the rump wouldn't even make it flinch. The elf surprised him however but striking at the beasts rear left heel. The monster grunted in pain as its injured leg began twitching and spasming . A few seconds later the monster fell prone much to the surprise of the knight which rode it. Before the knight could understand what happened, Darwen's blade pierced his lightly armored back.

"Hurry...we can still get away .", urged Zax as the elf scanned to see if her attack was spotted. Zax noted that he took for granted his night vision on many occasions. Even though Darwen's attack was quite visible to him, he suspected the human knights thought their comrade was just resting his boar. It wouldn't be long however till they discover his true fate.

Darwen shook her head and pointed at a nearby building. Zax glanced and saw two dozen knights or more accurately barbarians scaling it. Some used more conventional means like ladders, others were climbing the walls with their bare hands. A few were leaping from window to window like some type of huge cat. The first knight that scaled the building promptly fell off . Zax's vision could tell a trail of blood followed him , and saw the man was already dead before he hit the ground. Several deafening shrieks came from overhead as he saw a pair of griffon riders rain arrows on the roof.

"C'mon, they're all distracted now. We can get away.", Zax pleaded with the elf. He knew exactly what she was thinking right now. The archer or archers had just saved them, and they should return the favor. Zax would have none of that , it wasn't his fault they broke cover and got themselves cornered. Zax didn't recall ever asking them for help, and was sure enough not going to offer it now. They would all die if they joined the battle, at least if they ran , he and Darwen could escape .

Darwen plucked the projectile from the boar's neck and threw it at Zax. It landed at the tieflings feet and the tiefling noted it was a very familiar black arrow. "That's your sniper up there. ", was all the elf said before rushing towards the besieged building.

Zax stood motionless. He could get away now. It would be the cowardly thing to do, but at least he would live. He cared greatly for Darwen and he admitted he owed his life on several occasions to the mysterious sniper, however he wouldn't die for them. Charging that building was suicide. There was at least 24 knights. Darwen could barely handle one in the duel, and only took out this boar knight by surprise. If she fought them head on , her luck would soon run out.

Zax watched in silence as his lovely companion charged the building. "I'm going to miss her greatly. ", he whispered to himself as he turned into the alley.

* * *

><p>Sarin was confronted by a pair of Griffon knights . The distant sound of warning bells echoed through the estate. The signal was way too late but it seemed to pause the knight's advance. He didn't know how they got behind him, but they seemed to be sneaking in the compound with bows in hand.<p>

The half elf quickly deduced from their movements that they hadn't spotted him yet. He readied his spear and quickly rushed his opponents.

The large paladin's charge pierced the first knight with deadly accuracy. The half elf cursed as he under estimated the strength of his attack. His weapon punctured his opponent's armor and kept going through his chest. The elf growled as he realized his spear was now stuck in his dead foe.

The other knight wheeled and fired a nocked arrow at Sarin. Despite being surprised and spinning to fire, the archer's aim was true. The arrow bit deeply into the half elf's side, but it did not drop him. Sarin dropped his spear and rushed his foe with his ham like fists. Normally he would never attempt such a tactic but since his opponent had a bow, he figured he could reach him before he could ready another arrow. His assumption proved correct as he grasped the man's head with his beefy hands and slammed it towards a wall. His great strength smashed the griffon knight's face into the building , causing cracks in the mortar. Despite the power of the attack, it only staggered the man. Sarin quickly responded by kicking the man's leg out and letting him fall hard to the ground. The man landed with a thud but still attempted to rise.

Sarin frowned , he didn't want to kick the man to death. Not because it was undignified but because it would take a long time. He went to his opponents slain comrade and looted a long knife, but a monstrous boot crushed the fallen knight before he was able to use it.

"Sorry...big estate...", said the giant again.

Sarin was about to say something in return, when he suddenly noticed the sky was filled with griffon knights. A hail of arrows rained down on the pair. Luckily Sarin was able to get in cover before the deadly rain hit him. Isula however was not so blessed. A hundred arrows struck her but most were turned away by her heavy armor, still a dozen arrows managed to strike the giant in the back , arms, and legs. She turned and threw her spear in frustration at her attackers. The weapon's aim was true and impaled both griffon and rider. The weapon continued its flight and arced into the air. Before the weapon could return to her hand though another volley of arrows struck her in the chest and one in the throat.

"Isula", cried Sarin as the giant grunted and then fell backwards from the force of the attack. The mighty giant crashed into the ground shrinking before his eyes. The paladin turned to check his ally but the arrow fire continued but this time they were directed at him. He considered braving the attack, but knew that any stray shots would likely strike the stricken giant girl.

Sarin wasn't a cleric and could not channel his divine energy as efficient as Sharliss can. However it was the only thing he could do at that moment. He expended his divine reserves and hoped that it was enough to heal the giant girl, before he turned and retreated deeper into Lord Quick's estate, drawing fire from the mass of aerial archers.

* * *

><p>Instead of cursing her ability to hide ,Nymk silently complimented the boar knight whose mount she shot. She knew that she was perfectly hidden but suspected the man had either extraordinary vision or more likely an extraordinary sense of smell. She scanned the area and saw three dozen knights were closing in on her. Not all them were knights she corrected herself. She noted many of them were just retainers, hirelings, or men at arms of the great orders. After the Great Host triumphed over the great gnoll Horde, many lords and nobles were forced to disband their retinues. Many went to the south to seek employment and the rich barons and merchants were more then happy to hire them. Part of her job as arbiter was to make sure none of these men at arms claimed to be something that they weren't ...a sort of martial professional association inspector. She smirked at the fact that at least the warriors she faced didn't have the insignia or banners claiming that they were of some station that they weren't.<p>

The swords woman felt confident she could hide in plain sight from her foes, but guessed some of the warriors could literally sniff her out. Her other option was to retreat into the building, but that meant she could be easily cornered. She knew her best bet was to engage them on the roof as they made their way up. After killing a few, hopefully an opening would open up and she could leap or tumble off the building and flee to safety. She preferred the bow to melee, but admitted that she was pretty good with both styles. Dislodging her from the roof wouldn't be easy for her attackers. It wasn't a great plan, but it would have to suffice for now.

A warrior of the wolf was the first to make it to the top. She sensed that the man could not detect her, and waited for him to look around a bit, before plunging her scimitar in his back. Her strike was expertly executed, and she kicked the man's corpse off the building. She waited for her next victim, when suddenly a hail of arrows rained down on the roof. . An arrow struck her arm, as she sought out the little cover that was available. Several shrieks overhead told her that they were Griffon knights. The swords woman's eyesight was much greater then a normal human but still could not see her foes high up in the night sky. Nymk recalled only knights could ride griffons in that order, and surmised the foes overhead were all dangerous opponents. From the pattern of the attack, she guessed her foes could not see her exact location and were blanketing the roof hoping the sheer volume of arrows would strike her. The swords woman grunted in pain and pushed the arrow out of her arm, before she could recover however another arrow struck her in the leg. This one did not strike her directly but tore through her armor and flesh . She drank a potion to relieve the pain and chuckled at how ironic one of the north's most deadly snipers was about to be slain by a mass of inaccurate arrow fire. The odds appeared to have suddenly shifted against her favor.

Suddenly , the sky lit up as a fiery ball engulfed a griffon overhead. The creature shrieked and spun around in pain as its feathers caught on fire . Nymk watched as it plummeted and struck a nearby building. A challenging shriek overhead sounded like the other rider or riders decide to fall back till they could pin point their foe. Nymk could hear sounds of battle below and smiled at the opportunity that had presented it self. She wasn't expecting reinforcements so deep behind enemy lines , she couldn't hear any girlish screams so ruled out Zax as her savior. She ignored her wounded leg and arm and rolled to the center of the roof. Three warriors were climbing up simultaneously onto building when the rain of arrows had stopped. Nynk knew more were coming , so gleefully chopped the hand off the first. The warrior yelled as he fell. The swords woman spun quickly around and saw the other two were almost fully on the roof, as well as four others were struggling on the ledge. She threw a dagger at a nearby handing pinning it to the building. Then spun and kicked the off balance fighter off the building.

Another knight sent a battleaxe crashing next to the swords woman. Only her quick reflexes saved her from a messy death. She tumbled away and soon found herself facing four armored warriors , with possibly more to come. Nymk noticed the fire ball had chased the other griffon rider away, at least there would be no covering fire. The Emerald Arbiter smiled at the armed warriors advancing towards her and the one pinned on the ledge , those were odds she could handle.

* * *

><p>"US FIGHT YET?" , shouted the impatient Iceclaw to the gigantic Roc's driver.<p>

"Not yet sir. We are narrowing down our opponents location right now. There are only seven of us, and at least thirty or more defenders. ", the young Sir Tollis replied with clear unease. Although they were both Knights of the Griffon, Tollis knew that the bestial Iceclaw might strike at him if he became too impatient or bored. The rumors of the fate of Iceclaw's previous "driver" made the young knight very cautious indeed.

"ME WANNA FIGHT! !", declared Iceclaw as he saw several of the griffon riders return from their last sortie.

The lead griffon rider gave Tollis the signal to bomb again , then attack .

Sir Tollis nodded and shouted to Iceclaw " Hang on big guy. We're up!"

"YAY ! FIGHT !", cheered the brutish warrior.

* * *

><p>"Miss me?", asked Zax as he quickly scrambled to Darwen's side. Zax fully intended to run, flee the battle, and hide out, but some how he found himself returning to the elf. He knew he wasn't heroic or brave, he was just scared to be by himself during this crazy fight. Or so he told himself.<p>

The elf returned an uneasy smile, as a flaming feathery carcass crashed into a nearby building. Zax looked at her face and thought he saw a tear but quickly dismissed it as just perspiration from the fires raging around them.

"Stay behind me, cover my back .", the elf commanded as a dozen knights stopped their assault on the building. Their prey up top had proved to be resilient , but the the pair in front of them looked like much easier targets.

Zax knew this was going to be the fight of his life. There was no holding back now. He concentrated his infernal power and raised the temperature of his skin to blistering levels. He readied his new blade and assumed a duelist stance.

"Tinechor Naur", uttered Darwen and her skin blazed into a flaming inferno. She looked more akin to an elemental then an elf at that point and Zax dropped his jaw in disbelief.

"What the ? How did you do that? ", gasped the tiefling.

"Its a spell called fire shield. I would have used it against Sir Albin but he had fire protections up. ", the elf explained quickly before rushing her surprised foes.

"..but...but...but...having your skin get really hot...that's like my thing! ", stammered Zax in shock. "That's like the only thing I do that's note worthy..."

Darwen gave him no reply as she flew towards the enemy. Zax watched in amazement as she suddenly split into four mirror images of herself. The enemy warriors paused briefly at this sight but quickly recovered. They appeared to have engaged against this type of spell before, they divided their attacks and each swing seemed to dispel one of the elf's phantoms. The moment of hesitation proved to be fatal though, Darwen withstood their attacks to place herself directly in the middle of her attackers. Zax was beginning to reconsider returning to her side when suddenly arcs of lightning lanced from her , striking all those that surrounded her. Zax jumped in surprise as a bolt of electricity struck him, but was surprised when he found it did no damage. As the bolts of energy relentless struck her foes, the elf began her deadly dance with her rapier, striking , skewering and stabbing her literally stunned foes.

Zax was stunned more from surprise of his companion's lethal skill then actual electrical shock. He knew Darwen's skill with the blade was greater then his, but never really considered her such a deadly foe on the battlefield. The tiefling just assumed she choked on the battlefield when the chips were down. That would explain her previous defeats by the ogre mage and Sir Albin. If she possessed as much power as he was witnessing how was she defeated before? Was her previous foes truly that deadly? Was Sir Albin really holding back in his fight against him? He left the question unanswered as a warrior staggered before him , disorientated by Darwen's electrical aura. The tiefling swatted him with his rapier and was surprised at how easy his new blade handled in his hand. The weapon struck the stunned warrior and rended armor, bone , and flesh .

The stricken warrior gasped in pain, but Darwen quickly twirled and dispatched him with a rapier strike of her own through the man's lower back. The man fell to his knees and tried to scream from the pain , but Zax mercifully finished him with a slash across the neck.

The elf and tiefling regrouped as more warriors appeared to engage them. Their tactic of rushing head long succeeded in breaking the "siege" of the sniper tower, but it left them exposed and surrounded in the open. The enemy were approaching with more caution as they prepared bows and crossbows. Their initial attack appeared now to be foolish but Zax held his tongue. He wanted to tell his companion "I told you so." , but the tiefling decided now was not the time for admonishments.

*Thunk *

*Thunk *

*Thunk *

Three of the archers surrounding them fell from deadly black arrows. They were all lethal strikes, through the eye, throat, and heart . Darwen still surrounded by the small electrical corona and her fiery skin seized the opportunity and rushed an archer closest to a building. Zax followed in tow waving his sword madly over his head. The sight of multiple elves surrounded by lightning was too much for the archer and he fled before the pair. The elf was quicker however and punctured his side with her glowing weapon. The wound was deep but not lethal, but the accompanying lances of lightning quickly finished the man off.

*Thunk *

Another arrow struck a crossbowman through the throat. The remaining warriors ,who although greatly outnumbered the elf and tiefling, decided to fall back and regroup till they could figure out what exactly they were fighting. The lack of communication was clearly present as they appeared to scatter in several directions simultaneously.

Darwen took the respite and attempted to battered down the door of the building they ran to. Despite her swords obvious enchantment and her lightning aura, she made little progress to the secure portal.

Zax waved her back, and quickly checked beneath the welcome mat, then by some potted plants and finally near an eaves drop. The tiefling smiled as he found the object he was looking for and produced a key which he promptly used to unlock the door.

"After you . M'lday. ", he said. He wasn't quite sure why he said something that ridiculous, but it seemed to be appropriate at the time. Darwen smiled and the pair entered the building.

"Nymph!", shouted Zax in surprise as he noticed Sharliss's maid quickly descending the stairs , with scimitar and bow in hand. "What are you doing here ?"

* * *

><p>Sharliss placed the uneasy Lilithy onto Freiki and began walking down the corridor. Although she healed her wounds, the bird faced tiefling girl seemed rattled and shakened by her near death experience. Sharliss on the other hand was accustomed to the chaos of battle. Although her father, mother and Sarin all tried to keep the now dark haired priestess away from danger and adventuring, it seemed to find her all the same. From the evil hag avatar of Myleka to her encounters with trolls in the mountains and a dozen incidents in between , her guardians had done a poor job in shielding her. Not that she minded, she knew despite their wishes it would be the path she would follow. Becoming a priest was a start, now she was a certified mage, and soon hope to be mystical theurge. Her sister Surry was the only one that supported her secret decision, but she had cautioned her to specialize in one path instead of the myriad she was taking currently. Sharliss didn't like to boast, but she was taught stealth by her mother, marksmanship by the warforge Trip, skill at arms by the hero Dietrch, Divine magic from Sister Wayland, Arcane magic by her sister Surry and many other skills by her parents associates. To appease her parent she gave the pretense of focusing on the skills of a priestess of Koryis. A god of peace, healing and wisdom. She appreciated the gods teaching but knew that true peace often required some force to achieve.<p>

She would like nothing better to find her guardian Sarin and aid him in battle, but knew that getting Lilithy to safety was more important at that moment. Although many, including her parents underestimated the half elf, Sharliss knew how capable and deadly her guardian can be. His strength and skill were obvious, but his true power lied with in his courage and willpower.

"Also the ability to devour a pie in three seconds.", the priestess chuckled to herself.

"Is something the matter mistress?", asked Lilithy frightfully when she noticed Sharliss laughing to herself.

"No..I'm just thinking about how this day's turned out. ", lied the priestess trying to seem serious to her new friend.

"Yes... When we woke up early in the morning to head to the north gate, I was sure you would find your knight. Unfortunately his caravan had already left. I wouldn't worry too much about it mistress... if he really cared he would have responded to your message. ", replied Lilithy who seemed much more calm when talking about gossip then focusing on the danger around them.

Sharliss nodded, he wanted to tell her friend she was wrong but her words made sense . She felt so foolish to trust her heart to Halvor and was heart broken to discover it was not returned. If he only replied to her message or if she only caught him before he left, she was sure she could have mended their relationship. However that was not the case. Her father didn't believe in destiny but was this fate telling her that they were not meant to be? The talks she had with the big knight seemed to have filled a void in her she didn't even realize existed, even if he never saw him again she knew that a part of him would forever remain in her heart.

Freiki stopped as they made their way deeper into the estate and presumably to safety. The monstrous wolf started to sniff the air and pointed menacingly to the roof.

Sharliss could hear the heavy footsteps above them, and placed her fingers on her lips to silence her companion.

"Everyone has resistance to fire here right?", the priestess asked as she started to intone arcane energies that she previously left untapped.

Lilithy barely nodded before the ceiling then room erupted into a ball of flames.

* * *

><p>Kirgi looked at his wet orange hands ,"hmm ...I don't think I could ever get use to this. "<p>

"Well, we'll probably all be dead after this guys, but I intend to take a few of these guys with me. ", said Halvor with orange paint dripping off of him.

The normally ebon but now orange skinned Adria nodded in approval at the knight's sentiments. Her fists crackled with energy. "Rest assured, win or lose , they will remember they were in a fight today. ", responded the Eidolon.

Halvor knew his plan was suicide, but he knew the consequences were worse. He suspected that the riders wanted to get Zax, but was unsure if they would leave after they had slain him, or at least his doppelganger. The griffon riders range attacks were much greater then the caravans even without their alchemist's fire. If they really wanted they could scoop up rocks and continue their bombardment till they were all crushed. On top of all this, the knight was angry at this unprovoked attack. He had his suspicions on why the knights hated Zax but why attack the whole caravan and involve innocent civilians. This reeked of vile villainy. Although he was only a Knight of Veb , he felt that this outrage would not go unpunished . After consulting with Petrus, they switched places with the tieflings and painted themselves orange to complete the disguise. Not only did Halvor felt better suited to resist the griffon riders, but he hoped the tieflings appearance in the middle of the battle would throw their attackers into confusion. That is if the tieflings were there actual target. Regardless if they were or not , Halvor felt an emptiness in him that could only be quenched by the blood of his enemies.

"Fighting back to back with my friends...a dwarf can't ask for much more. No excuses , no regrets.", smiled Kirgi as he readied himself for the soon to come attack.

The dwarfs words cut into Halvor . He had plenty of regrets and excuses. He did not regret leaving the barony and pursuing his own dreams and goals, and he did not regret risking it all with unproven friends and allies to cross the shattered mountains. He did however wished he handled his last night with Sharliss better. It was a stupid argument and he should have apologized right away, but he let his pride get the best of him. He had a chance to make amends, but he was too willful to do so. Now he stood at death's door and his only thought was of the tiefling priestesses. He smiled as he thought her hair looked better blue then black.

"Oh Hal...I almost forgot. The big fat half elf gave me this last night. I totally forgot. I better give this to you now before I'm trying to find you in Moradin's halls. ", said Kirgi as he dug through his armor and produced a battered and beaten parcel box, tied crudely with twine.

Halvor took the parcel and easily tore it open. He stared at the contents and appeared to be mesmerized by it.

"Uh...Hal...Hal...HERE THEY COME!", yelled the dwarf as he fired his crossbow at the lead griffon. The shot was true, and the beast seemed to falter in its flight, however it continued its deadly descent towards the three orange painted decoys.

Hal's brow furrowed and a fierce determination crossed his face. He grabbed the contents of the parcel and tied it around his great axe. He wasn't concerned about putting up a good fight anymore, he only cared about victory.

"Hey...did that big fat half elf give you a handkerchief or something...cuz that's kind of gay you know. ", smirked the dwarf as the griffons descended.

* * *

><p>Sir Karak's ancient bones strained and groaned. Despite his age and withered form, the Head Royal Adventurer, Chancellor of the Empire, and Steward of Grom City dispatched the three griffon knights before him with ease. In his youth he was called Karak Twinblades, but now he barely managed to hold one.<p>

"A mere distraction .", spat the ancient warrior as the fatigue of age brought him slumped over his deadly sword once again. Sir Karak was a relic in all sense of the word. He had existed since the fall of the Duke of Grom, witnessed the rise of the Republic , and the coronation of the Demon Emperor Alphonso. In spite of his great age, he was only human. A man who had reached his limit with the use of life advancing magic a long time ago. Magicians throughout the realm wondered how he had managed to maintain his life without resorting to lichdom or a path of immortality, all Karak knew was that it was a burden and a curse.

As the ancient warrior hobbled to the balcony of the Royal Palace, he saw the city was in flames. His normally blurry vision narrowed unnaturally to the attackers and saw that they were knights of the north. He quickly surmised their numbers and estimated they were under 2000. Enough to cause a disturbance to the city but not enough to hold it. Karak guessed that this raid was not just for gold or booty , he was certain there was an ulterior motive . To cause a rift between Grom and the Knights? To secure some sort of ancient treasure? A vendetta ?

Karak shrugged, although he was technically in charge of the city, such things as politics or the well being of the nation was secondary to him. He was only interested in preserving the throne for the Emperor's return. His unnatural long life and skills were the blessing/curse of the entity known as the Avenger. Also known as Blackguard, the original Sir Eggbert, Bilbo the blacksmith, the Demon Emperor Alphonso, and of course the Dynast. This creature has drifted through out the ages, and it was Karak's duty to aid him in his return. As the Dynast traveled through time to possess different members of his bloodline, Karak would aid him in assuming positions of power in first the Duchy, then the Republic, and finally the Empire of Grom. He had served diligently for over a millennium, but Karak hoped that the end would be near. His body had failed him in so many ways since Alphonso vanished, and he only longed for death.

Not that he could simply commit suicide or be slain in a duel. If such a thing were possible he would have died centuries ago. Instead the ancient warrior was cursed to this everlasting half life half death state, till the true emperor returned a final time.

Karak chuckled as he thought over the reports he heard from northern Grom. General Olive and his old student Earl had found an heir to Alphonso. A member of his bloodline traced from his traitorous son Everic. The pair had planned to place this pretender on the throne of Grom, but Karak would never allow that to pass. It would take more then the ability to command golems and have blood traced to Alphonso to be coronated as the new Emperor.

The old warrior suspected that the pair would make their move after the affair with the giants would be over, and he would be expecting them. He still commanded the Dread Guard, Alphonso's personal infernal legion...and hidden artifacts and weapons at his disposal. He had nothing against the two, but they would rue the day if they were to interfere with his true mission. To transfer power to only the inheritor of the spirit of the Avenger, not just some brat which was part of the bloodline.

Karak kept tabs of over a dozen bastard children of Alponso and Everic, but none had passed his tests. He doubt this glorified merchant that Olive and Earl had discovered would pass either.

Olive had already sent an emissary, an infernal royal adventurer of all things. A disguised Gelugon, or ice devil of all things. The infernal and his eladrin companion proved to be dangerous foes, but they were no match for Karak and the eldritch magics entrusted to him.

"Slay him! ", cried a voice that interrupted Karak's train of thought.

The ancient warrior turned and saw a dozen armored knights and a dozen more retainers invading his halls. He sighed at the terrible state that Grom had decayed to . During the reign of the Alphonso such invaders would have never made it this far. He blamed himself though for ceding so much power to the Royal Adventurer's , it had just gotten to a point that he didn't care anymore. He didn't care for anything except his sole mission.

The old warrior debated on whether to use spell or sword to destroy the invaders. He reluctantly drew his blade, and in a flash the two dozen attackers were swiftly and horribly killed. He could have kept one for questioning but it seemed futile to the old withered man.

As Karak sheathed his blade, a sharp tingling embraced his entire being.

At once Karak knew what was happening. "He's returned. He's returned. ", the old warrior gasped with a smile on his face. Karak collapsed lifeless to the ground . With the knowledge that the empire was kept mostly intact for his lord's return , the old warrior's spirit finally passed on .

* * *

><p>"Nymph! What are you doing here!", exclaimed Zax at the surprised swords woman.<p>

"She's the sniper you've been talking about all this time. Sorry Lady Nymk but I'm tired of these games.", Darwen answered while closing the door.

Nymk's shoulder slumped as her disguise was pierced, subterfuge wasn't her specialty but she hoped her intentions to at least remain hidden from the tiefling's attentions. She didn't blame Darwen however, she had been sloppy many times in her ruse and it would just be a matter of time till she was discovered. The barbarian swords woman sheathed her scimitar and slung her bow , as she helped Darwen barricade the door.

"Nymph is the sniper? Nonsense you silly girl !", proclaimed Zax which drew a surprised look from Nymk and an annoyed "are you really that stupid ? " look from Darwen.

"She's obviously just moonlighting as a maid at this estate...I hope Sharliss doesn't find out...or maybe she already knows , that's why she hired Birdgirl to pick up the slack while you are missing. That and the fact you hang out in the Royal Court during the work week to try to pick up duelists makes you a very unreliable employee in my eyes. Even though I consider you a friend , I would never hire someone like you for one of my businesses. You need to get some discipline girl , learn to show up for your work shifts, show some work ethic! Concentrate on cleaning instead of on luring handsome duelists !", declared the tiefling with all sense of reality fleeing him.

Darwen glowered at Zax and approached him , her hand raised ready to slap some sense into him.

Nymk grabbed the elf's wrist and stayed her blow. The two's eyes met and the room seemed filled with tension. To everyone except Zax that is. Nymk nodded to Darwen then turned to Zax, who seemed disappointed that no cat fight had occurred. "How do you explain this bow and scimitar I have?", she asked.

"You're a barbarian they all have bows, just like elves all have pointy shoes and leaf outfits. ", snorted the tiefling while pointing to Darwen's armor ."You probably grabbed them to defend your new master's household.", reasoned Zax.

Nymk looked intently at the tiefling in disbelief, "Ok...how do you explain all three of us ended up in the same house. There's thousands of rich house holds in Grom City. ", probed the swords woman.

"Ahh...I can explain that with math...I've been learning advanced versions from good old Chins ... There's a thousand rich house holds in Grom City that employs servants ...but there's 3 of us...so divide by 3 thats 333...With 3 components there are 6 combinations...so thats 55... Since maids are gender specific , not including butlers of course , that cuts the odds to 26 27...also the fact that part time labour only makes up 20% of the work force that's down to 5 something. Lastly I assume you work 5 days a week for Sharliss, leaving you with only 2 to work here. so that's 2/7 ..using my super ability with fractions thats 10/7 . That's almost even odds. Of course it doesn't surprise me that we found you here.", said the tiefling proudly.

"Errr Zax? I thought you ran your own business...and did your own accounting ?", asked Darwen in shock of the tieflings mathematical abilities.

"Yes...yes I do. I also might point out I pay hardly any taxes ! ", boasted Zax, leaving out the part he had only graduated in the middle of his class, and he had another accountant always double check his ledgers.

Nymk stared into Zax's face, was he really that blind to the oblivious or was he just pretending like all ways , something that he was so prone to do. She considered herself a good judge of character and motives and could see no deception in the tiefling's deluded face.

A shout from outside broke up the mood of the room, and the three crouched in response. Trumpeting war beasts and the shouts of angry knights and warriors filled the streets. Nymk waved Zax and Darwen to the other room, and the three of them scrambled quietly into it.

"The city has been betrayed. They don't have enough forces to take it, but they will make off with much booty and prisoners. ", said Nymk grimly as a woman shrieks pierced the air from the outside.

"We can wait it out here...or we can do something about this. ", said the swords woman a grim visage on her face.

Zax was about to respond "wait it out here.", but a slender hand gripped his arm hard. Zax glanced at Darwen and saw the pained expression on her face, the thought of someone else suffering the same fate that befell herself a few weeks ago was unacceptable to her.

"Please say stay here, please say stay here, please say stay here...", thought Zax as she waited for Darwen to reply.

Darwen seemed paralyzed with indecision and she looked at Zax in confusion for leadership . Her eyes pleaded with the tiefling. "Be a hero, do the right thing. Save them. ", was the message on her face.

Zax looked at Nymph and she gave no indication of their course of action. She seemed content to follow the tieflings lead. Which of course didn't surprise Zax. He was glad the maid wanted to help, but knew it was foolishness to expect her to lead them. He knew his reputation as a hero wasn't on the line , but he had grown attached to the two women before him. Could he face them and act like a hero knowing he abandoned others to a dire fate.

"Where are these knaves? Point me in their direction so I can give them a proper thrashing! ", declared Zax defiantly with a raised fist. The tiefling wasn't sure why he said that but looking at Darwen he knew it was the right thing to do. Or at least attempt to do , he would make sure to keep the option of running away like a scared little goblin open on this little side trek.


	26. Chapter 26

Sir Rolf could not believe it. The senior Griffon knight was sure Lord Stormfeather had placed him on Death Watch , but here he was still alive . "Death Watch" was the term used by the lower ranking knights to designate the duty of suicide mission. Amongst the weaker orders or the "milk drinkers" of Grom to be put on suicide mission meant great shame and dishonor. Rolf even heard some of the weaker warriors of the lesser Orders panic and flee if they were put on Death Watch duty. The Order of the Griffon was different however. The greatest warriors of the north did not fear death either from foes or friends. When Rolf saw his orders, his spine stiffened but he would not shirk the honor that was his duty.

Griffon Prince Stormfeather had assigned him a full quarter of the Griffon host and an entire battalion of mercenaries. There job was to assault and seize the Grom Royal Palace. Rolf knew that it was all a diversion. He wasn't sure what the true purpose of the raid was, but he knew the bulk of the enemy forces would be drawn to defend his target . His noble and glorious death would lead to the Griffon's overall victory.

The initial assault on the Royal Palace went better then expected. The outer defenses were more akin to a country club then the fortress palace designed by Alphonso . The Griffon commander's troops easily over ran them. Rolf noted that there were more butlers and serving girls then there were enemy combatants. When his forces reached the inner fortress. The Griffon knight was awed by the strength and structure of the inner defenses . He balked at the prospect of besieging the palatial keep, but was again surprised at the ease his troops defeated the defenders. There were pockets of heavy resistance from the few units that the army stationed at the palace and the lone royal adventurer and his retinue gave them a memorable fight, but most of the palace garrison fled or surrendered at their coming. He half expected the feared demon cavalry of the Dread Guard to pop up but there were no signs of King Alphonso's fiendish personal army.

Rolf knew that according to plan all he had to do was to hold the area till night fall . With the fortifications at his disposal the Griffon knight knew that he could hold off thousands maybe even ten thousand foes if they ever regrouped. Rolf began to wonder if it was possible to actually survive his death watch.

* * *

><p>Captain Inutile paced nervously at the northern gate. The money given to him was quite the princely sum, although he probably would have done it for a much smaller fee. He was a tax collector after all. When Maiale was "disposed" of by the Silver Arbiter the post of Captain of the Northern Gate was temporarily open. Given Inutile's long association with the town guard, and a generous donation given to the chief guardsman, the tax collector quickly was promoted to that post. When a discrete offer of additional employment was given to him, the new captain promptly accepted it.<p>

Most large mercenary companies were not allowed full access to the city . A few could come in and out to spend their gold and purchase supplies, but the bulk of them had to wait outside, mainly for security reasons but partially to keep their drunken revelries under control. All the new Captain had to do for his secret employers was to ensure the alarm was not sounded and keep the gate open while they marched in. Stay low afterwards keeping the northern gate accessible , and shut the doors to delay any pursuers when the mercenaries left. He had hand picked several platoons of trustworthy and profit minded guards to make sure that his role in this raid went according to plan. The alarm was eventually sounded , but by then it was too late.

The cries of the victims of the raid echoed throughout the burning streets of Grom City. It did not move the captain though , he was use to much worse as his stint as a tax collector. That would be the only thing he would miss when he would have to flee the city later . The feeling of civil authority and monetary control his job gave him.

Inutile guessed only a few more hours left of nervous pacing till he can retire away from Grom. Perhaps he would retreat to the tropical islands of Irendi, or the Grand Duchy of the Karamekios. Someplace warm where he can live like a pampered lord with the blood money he received. In the mean time , he and his two platoons kept a close watch on the gate. If somehow the army reached him, he would claim the door was stuck and they were working to fix it. If they didn't believe him, he would be forced to defend against their attacks. The gate towers were sturdy structures, each almost like a small keep, complete with murder holes and parapets on both sides . He figured he could hold out against his fellow guards till his mercenary or knight allies could relieve him. Failure to do so would mean death or worse at the hands of the avenging Grommers. The life of a traitor was filled with great riches and great risks.

As Inutile and his men kept their vigil, a lone cloaked man walked towards the gate from with in the city. He wore a heavy knights curiass and held aloft a distinguished war banner of one of the Orders of the North, behind him trailed two lovely barely clad ladies roped together at their necks . The captain could tell it was the first of many to return from their raid.

* * *

><p>Captain Ramirez smiled as he directed the GRS (Grom Republic Skyship ) Indomitable towards the city. The bulk of the activity seemed concentrated in the northern districts , at Lord Quick's estate and at the palace. From his tactical sky high view he surmised that this wasn't just about looting and raiding, the enemy had objectives at hand. As the most senior captain here besides Kasmir , he directed three of the other vessels to the palace while three were to accompany him to engage the fierce battle overhead Lord Quick's estate . The rest would engage the enemy where they found them, to either deny resources or tie up their ranks.<p>

Several Griffons saw the approaching sky ships and broke off their attacks on the city to engage them. A trio of them scooped skywards and dropped rocks and alchemist fire onto the lead vessel. They use their speed and mobility to drop projectiles at their enemies before either retreating or using arrows . To most it seemed a cowardly tactic but it was very effective if not very chivalrous.

"Cowards! ", declared Rameriz at no one in particular as the fleeing griffons strafed his position.

Although he didn't expect a reply a Griffon knight bellowed back at him, "That is how the Griffon wage war! "

The skyship captain sneered at the unchivalrous response.

Rameriz knew the ship was immune to such feeble fire and rock attacks, but sadly his crew wasn't. One of the fire pots hit the ship directly setting one of the dragoneers ablaze. The man stumbled around but still had the frame of mind to roll inwards to the ship instead of stumbling overboard. The ship however sustained little or no damage as the hull was fire resistant. The dragoneers returned a volley striking a griffon and its rider several times, but failed to bring them down. The creature was wounded and its flight speed was reduced from the damage though. Ramirez took the opportunity to match speeds and directions of the injured griffon and brought his ship parallel to it.

*KABOOMMM* thundered the full size dragon golems as four of them fired a broadside into the griffon and its rider, turning them into a fine mist of blood and feathers.

"That's how Grommers fight!", shouted the captain, as the Indomitable gave chase to the scattered and panicked griffon riders.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick and his servant fought their way to the rear gardens of his estate. Only a few of the raiders stood in his way, but the enraged Royal Adventurer made short work of them. The elf lord was a self admitted show boat and glory hound, but no one can deny his lethal skill with blade and spell.<p>

" You ruined my party! You blinded me with your green mist ! You wreck my house ! and you chased away my future bride! Someone will pay for this! ", the elf shouted in a loud hacking whisper at his defeated foes.

"Whoa...how'd you do that?", asked his servant who cheerfully followed the elf.

"Eh? Did what?", the elf lord asked with his signature raspy voice.

"The old, whisper loudly thing. That's an oxymoron isn't it? If I didn't just hear you do it I would never have believed it. ", declared the nondescript servant amazed more at Quick's audio illusion then the elf's martial prowess.

"You have to get the air from your lower diaphragm almost at your stomach, then control the rate you exhale. Like the monks at Tornic do when they chant. It takes some practice, but I do admit it is a pretty cool trick. That's how I met my third wife you know, the opera singer. ", the elf said happily.

"Cool...so boss, I just want to confirm this, since I am just a lowly butler...but you aren't a part of this attack on Grom City...and this whole set up , the party and the sky ships ..was all an attempt to woo the Lady Sharliss?", asked the butler .

Lord Quick's vision was still a bit blurry from the cowardly attack earlier, but he still squinted his eyes at his inquisitive servant. He didn't recognize him, but that wasn't surprising. His house hold was always known to have a high turn over rate for servants. Something about him being too high strung to work for or something were their usual excuses for quitting. He felt no reason to answer the man before him, but he did feel a bit of an obligation to him. All his other servants and guards fled except for this fellow. Although Lord Quick did the bulk of the fighting, this servant did help guide him and direct him while his vision was impaired, and to the elf lord that counted for something.

"Why would I want to attack Grom City? This is the place I make my money. I believe the "criminals " in this city have a saying. " Don't shit where you eat. ". And yes , tonight's entertainment was all for the sole purpose of wooing the Lady Sharliss. She would make a lovely bride and our union would cement a powerful political union. ", answered Lord Quick with a shrug.

"Didn't she just get in town like last week? You're going to marry her when you hardly know her?", asked the confused servant. Lord Quick chuckled at the man, he clearly did not know the mysteries of the heart like the elf lord did.

"I would like to point out I married my fifth wife after meeting her at a party in a mere four hours. That happy union lasted a whole six years...one of my longer lasting and more pleasant marriages. ", smiled the elf.

"Ok...that's what I thought, but I just wanted to confirm it . Good luck on the raid. ", said the servant to his master as he walked away from him heading towards one of the outer rooms.

"Where are you going? Come back here! ", declared the elf lord at the retreating servant.

"Nah you don't need me anymore. I was just checking to see if I needed to kill you. However it looks like your summoning of the fleet might have saved Grom City. You'll probably get a medal or something for this. ", the servant chuckled, as he continued to walk away from the elf.

"What? Kill me ? Do you know who I am ?", declared the elf with his strange loud whisper, as he began to shake violently in rage.

The servant turned around and threw a dagger directly at Quick. Quick flashed his blade towards the projectile but was a fraction of a second too late to deflect it. Luckily the blade just missed his head by a fraction of an inch.

*Akhh...gurrrgglle*, came a voice a few feet behind the elven lord. Quick turned and saw the dagger imbedded deeply into a sneaking Griffon knight's left eye socket. The once stealthy warrior slumped to the floor, dead before he hit the ground.

"Yeah you're Sir Ricardo Belcadiz, Royal Adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion, Prince in exile, Scorpion of Grom, Grandson of Carnelia de Fedoriad also known widely as Lord Quick .", said the man as he turned back and continued to walk away.

The elf looked stunned at his servants reactions and aim. Somehow the man was...quicker...then he was. The elf was shocked but quickly rationalized it was the green dust that had slowed his reactions, there was no way that any man could be faster then he was. Before he could confront the man, the nondescript servant disappeared into the darkness but shouted once more, " That's a mouthful you know, I know everyone loves big long titles, but you should think about shortening it. Champion Duelist Quick or something else paraphrased like that ...anyways if you're still alive after this, maybe I'll pay you a visit. For your sake though , lets hope not."

* * *

><p>They fired a few volley of arrows at Halvor and his small group , but the big knight and his friends were firmly under cover. Sensing they had their foe pinned the Griffons screeched downwards on their power dive. A monstrous eagle also joined the final assault, but Halvor did not let its presence break his concentration.<p>

As the enemy grew closer and closer, Halvor looked at the handkerchief tied to his axe and knew he couldn't die like this. He had to win and return it back to her. As his enemy was almost upon him , he thought this little "dance" with Sharliss , was a stupid little game, but she was young and so was he. In the end he didn't care. This final gift of hers meant she at least still cared about him and that was enough for the big knight.

"NOW!", he shouted to Petrus as the griffons were almost upon him, thoughts of anything but the battle driven from his mind.

The summoner unleashed the spell he had prepared and a wall of fire 20 feet high sprang from the ground. The lead griffons were too committed to their dive to pull up, and the first three flew through them , burning hide, skin, and feathers. The rear three and the war eagle managed to stop barely in time, but they were still assaulted by the wall's intense flames. As they stopped their flight a roar from the hidden guards and tieflings came from the canyon walls as they assaulted their aerial tormentors that went through the fire. Halvor did not know the workings of magic, but thought it curious the wall was only hot on one side, which thankfully wasn't the side he was on.

The orange painted Halvor swung his great axe like a meteor at the lead griffon. He struck it deeply in the side and the force of the blow sent it crashing into the ground. Kirgi took quick advantage of the fallen griffon and pinned knight . He descended upon them and swung a war axe at each of his opponents. The first axe felled the wounded and burning griffon, while the other bit deeply into the pinned knight's shoulder. The dwarf followed through with a step towards his wounded opponent and gave him a swift kick to the head, knocking the man out.

"I don't normally boot guys while they are down, but three or four guys who looked a lot like you , with tattoos that looks a lot like the one on your tabard did the same thing to me a few weeks ago. ", smirked the dwarf at the unconscious knight as he quickly spun to face the other griffons.

Adria's hands flashed with lightning as she ducked the flaming griffon emerging from the wall. She grew to almost 12 feet tall and managed to grasp the wing of one of the beasts as it flew by. Her increased size and mass allowed her to hold on and swing the shrieking creature and yelling knight riding it back into the wall. The pair screamed from fiery pain , but the orange painted giant paid no heed to their pleas of mercy. The griffon quickly expired from the inferno while the knight dismounted and staggered through the fiery barrier. As the knight gasped air from the smoke and fire he escaped, the large eidolon flattened him with an electrical fist before he could recover.

The third griffon suffered fire damage but evaded the bulk of the initial engagement. The mount and rider flew past his ambushers and quickly spun around to charge again , this time without a wall to distort its aim of its target. As the griffon turned it was met with a hail of sling stones and crossbow bolts from the regular and tiefling guards. The griffon reared back and fell to the ground and was soon set upon by the Big Zax and his compatriots. The tieflings stabbed at the monster mercilessly, but it returned their ferocity with beak and claw. A tiefling fell under the avian monster, and another was struck heavily in the back by the griffon knight after he restored his balance on his mount.

The knight prepared to finish his staggered foe , when he suddenly looked at Big Zax and a hint of recognition crossed his face. "ZAX! He's not in the middle. He's right here !", the knight yelled.

The rear griffon echelon hovered back and over the wall and saw that the ambush had slain two of their compatriots. Halvor sensed that they wanted to engage his group first to exact revenge for their comrades, but instead they dove straight at the recently spotted Big Zax.

The human guards, Kirgi and Petrus all fired at the tight mass of mounts and knights that had presented such an easy target to them. Halvor and Adria rushed the attackers and struck the rear one with axe and fists. Halvor's axe struck the knight square in the back and he could feel his weapon shredding his spine. Adria grasped the griffon's leg. She was met with an instinctive rake with the lion like claw, but she twisted the appendage swiftly. The griffon and its now dead rider rolled heavily into the ground, but the eidolon did not relent. She continued to twist till a sickening snapping sound and pained piercing shrieks could be heard through the canyon.

Big Zax was overwhelmed but fought like a true professional. He knew he was outnumbered so fought defensively till his allies could thin or disperse his fresh attackers. It would have worked great, but an extremely large knight atop the giant eagle swung an over sized mace towards him. Even though his magical blade attempted to parry, and his enchanted shield was in the perfect position to block. The massive object shattered blade,shield, and arm as it struck. Big Zax staggered back in pain from the blow, but his massive attacker jumped off the eagle and pressed the attack. Big Zax backed up from his attacker till he hit the canyon wall. Sensing there was no place left to run he lunged at the massive warrior , and struck him squarely in the center , his short sword biting through armor and flesh as it sank into his opponent's chest.

The big knight looked at the annoying blade and smashed his mace like a battering ram into Big Zax's midsection. All the air was knocked out of the tiefling's lungs, as he slumped to the ground. Before he could act again, the tiefling screamed in pain as a pair of large hands grasped his head and began to pull upwards.

Everyone from both sides of the battles stopped as a horrifying ear splitting scream erupted from the tiefling. The shout was quickly silenced when his head was literally ripped from his spine. A guard paused and threw up and so did Sir Tollis from the sickening sight.

"ME WIN! ME WIN! ME KILL ZAX ! ME KILL ZAX! ",shouted Iceclaw as he happily hopped back onto the giant Eagle with his grisly prize and his slain victim's sword

"BUYS BYES! US PLAY AGAIN!", waved Iceclaw happily as the monstrous eagle and two remaining griffons retreated skywards.

* * *

><p>Sarin regretted abandoning his fallen companion, but knew it was for the best. If he would have attempted to grab her, the sheer volume of arrows directed at him would have most likely slain her from stray shots. The healing aura he evoked was the the best decision he could have made if he wanted to save Isula's life.<p>

As the paladin retreated into the estate, he could hear the sounds of knights in pursuit. A large number of them had clearly dismounted and were making their way into the estate. Were they after Lord Quick or was it Sharliss they were after? Regardless of who it was, the paladin rounded a corner and readied an attack with his spear. A knight followed in pursuit and was surprised to be greeted by a 250 lb half elf of pure fury. Sarin's spear thrust was text book perfect as it ran the knight through the stomach, and brought it out again in a split second. Two more knights tried to stop their advance but Sarin speared one of their hips. As the knight crashed to the ground, the paladin stepped forwards and swung his massive elbow into the remaining knights face. The force of Sarin's attack combined with the man's rush , brought the knight to a grinding halt. A crunch of bone and a spurt of blood accompanied the impact of the attack , as the knight fell gibbering from pain on the ground.

Sarin heard the remaining raiders pause and regroup, and the paladin took the opportunity to once again retreat deeper into Lord Quick's estate.

* * *

><p>"Hey let me in! I did a hard day of looting in there and I need to take a break. Look , let me in and I'll let you fool around with one of these fine bitches I caught !", yelled Zax to the gate tower. The trio made their way to the north gate and pondered how to break in. As stealthy as Nymph claimed she was she did not think she could sneak into an alerted Gate house full of defenders. Darwen suggested a frontal assault, but noted she had little spells to aid in siege warfare. Zax thought about it and he wondered if he could convince the defenders if he was a knight returning from a hard day of looting with two prisoners . The fact that he actually was a knight had no bearing on it since despite his credentials he certainly did not look like one. Nymk and Darwen both greeted his suggestion warily , but the tiefling smiled and transformed his chain shirt into a full suit of plate mail and changed his club and rapier to their original broadsword and war banner shapes. The two women stripping to their underwear and donning loose leashes was Nymph's idea but Darwen was very reluctant to agree to it . Zax however, thought it was an excellent idea.<p>

Zax recalled seeing the two gate towers when he awaited his duel over a week ago with the former Captain Maiale. At full capacity the pair of them could hold close to 50 men a piece. One of the towers contained the mechanism to open the gate, the other closed it. The fool hardy maid said they needed to seize both positions to stop the invaders. Zax of course scoffed at the idea, but Darwen fully supported the plan. Zax reluctantly agreed, but they were going to do things his way. He hoped his disguise of his magical plate armor and a scavenged knight's helmet would fool the defenders long enough for him to gain entry. Afterwards he would use his powers of oration on them. He knew Grom, and he knew guards in Grom. He suspected the traitors weren't radicals or rebels, but just guys who wanted to make a buck. The tiefling thought if he was given a chance to talk to them, it would be easy enough to pay them off to either open the gate or flee . If things got rough, he still had Darwen to do the heavy fighting, and as much as he hated it , he could always push Nymph in the way if he had to run.

The defenders did not fire at them as they approached, and Zax thought that was a good sign. They didn't open the door at first, and that got Darwen and Nymph a bit worried. Not Zax though, the tiefling knew they were just discussing things amongst themselves . If they weren't attacking yet that meant they were open to dialogue and of course a hefty profitable "suggestion".

As the sounds of bars and mechanisms being raised and unlocked sounded from within, Zax turned to his scantily clad companions. Darwen turned red at his gaze, she was wearing her exotic leaf undergarments that Zax absolutely adored. Zax always wondered how they stayed affixed to her body, but decided now was not the time to pose that question. Nymph seemed more calm as she stood before him in a simple form fitting white cloth shirt and shorts. Zax expected something racier from a maid that was attempting to attract the attentions of duelists. The leashes they were both wearing were of course for show only. The maid tied the rope so that they easily snapped off if any pressure was given . The women had no armor but Darwen enchanted both with an armor replacement spell. Something Zax thought was very useful and wondered if it was more protective then the plate armor he was trudging along with. Nymph had stowed her weapons in a bag similar to Zax's satchel. Most likely used to store heavy cleaning equipment the tiefling guessed. With Darwen's blade hung loosely at Zax's belt, the tiefling nodded at the pair a final time. This was it, there was no turning back now.

"Ok, be ready but stay relax. Act a bit fearful if you have to. Let me do all the talking OK. We'll have this tower in no time.", instructed Zax as he flashed his heroic swashbuckling smile to his leashed beauties.

* * *

><p>Baalphzon left the door to the store slightly ajar. The deceptive looking imp waited above the entrance, patiently waiting his next victim. So far he had dispatched six of these so called knights as they saw the door to this magic item store open before them. The locals of course were too smart or scared to fall for such a simple ploy, these invaders however were ripe for the picking.<p>

A pair of brawny men with heavy half plate wearing the tabards of the crab entered. Baalphzon chuckled at the sight of the carnage to come. Several years ago , when he was released from his magical bonds, Baalphzon was set upon by a pair of crazed but powerful paladins. He would have been destroyed but the paladins' daughter intervened on his behalf. He agreed to a series of binding pledges in exchange for his life. It was a deal made under duress and he knew it was not binding to him, however his enormous pride and his own strange code of honor was enough to ensure his compliance with the pact. He was bound not to hurt innocents by oaths to both of the Mistresses of the Lionblade, but invading a city and rampant looting clearly made these two men fair game.

"Look at all this stuff! I wonder why anyone didn't loot this stuff yet! ", said the first crab warrior.

"Well let's fill our sacks. We still have to find some fine Grom women after this to celebrate with ", the other replied triggering a laugh from the pair.

Baalphzon wanted to strike, but knew this could be just bluster. If he killed them now the Mistresses of the Lionblade might confront him and claim it was purely circumstantial that they were in the shop. She would probably claim they might have just been seeking shelter from the attack. Baalphzon was well versed in dealing with lawyers both Grommish and Infernal so he waited till this pair were caught in the act.

One of the warriors grabbed a gleaming blade, and another a shiny jewel. The imp knew they were both enchanted to appear more magical then actually were, but that was still theft. Baalphzon smiled then leaped into action, that was good enough for him.

In a flash , the muscular imp pounced on one of their backs, knocking his target to the ground in the process. He stabbed his poisonous tail into the man's left leg. The warrior screamed as the stricken appendage quickly turned black and purple. Before the other looter could react, Baalphzon jumped on his shoulder and wrapped his barbed tail around the man's neck. The surprised man froze as he knew he was just a tail yank away from having his throat slashed.

Baalphzon purred as he yanked his captive's ear,"Before I decide to kill you ...I see you two are knights of the crab. Do you know a Frank, Hank, Frank and Tank? or more specifically a Frank and Tank, since the former died I believe. ", hissed the imp into the terrified man's ear.

"No..No...sir...we're just bandits. We were given these tabards to wear. ", the man replied. It was the truth but he was unsure if that was the correct reply or not.

"Thank you for your honest answer. ", smiled the imp as he tore the man's throat out. Before the body fell to the group Baalphzon hopped on the back of the other man. He wanted to finish him off but the poison beat him to it. He sighed and waved his hands, both bodies incinerated to ashes . The imp then waved his other hand and the items purloined were returned to their original relative positions. He could have slain both intruders with his magic, or even transformed to his true form and crush them with his titanic strength, but the pitlord preferred the simple things in life.

The imp looked at the carnage outside , he wanted to rush out and begin wanton slaughter, but that would hurt his reputation as a member of the Dark Eight. Besides he was being paid to watch the store.

"I wonder how Sharliss and Sarin are doing?", he thought.

Sarin should be OK, and Sharliss too if she was with him. The imp wondered if he should check up on them, he owed his old master and only real ally that much he mused. If he actually shut the store's door, none of the bandits would be able to enter without magical assistance. As he thought about this he watched an invading warrior attempt to cut down an old woman with his axe. For some reason the sight made his blood grow hot (hotter then normal that is) , he told himself it was the blood lust, but the imp had to admit he felt something else at that moment. The desire for justice ? Pity for the weak? He wasn't sure, but before he knew it , the imp was perched on the back of the axe wielding man.

Baalphzon wrapped his tail around the man's neck and shredded it with a simple motion. As the man fell to his knees, the imp started to cruelly rake his face , leaving the eyes of course so his dieing victim could watch the carnage he inflicted on him.

The old woman stopped as she realized her attacker had been stopped, "Thank you Thank you great hero...I never would hav...", she said but then stopped. The horrid sight of the muscular imp ripping her attackers face apart caused her to go green from revulsion . She quickly turned and stumbled away as fast as she could from the monstrous sight.

Baalphzon stopped his attack and stood. He looked at the pain and suffering he had inflicted and grinned. , "Hmm...I can get use to this hero stuff.", he said with a knowing nod.

* * *

><p>"Zax! You can stop that screaming now! ", shouted Nymph from atop the stairs. " Like sheesh, you're the one in armor not us!"<p>

"Ummm...I was just perpetuating our ruse . Since you two girls forgot to scream . Someone had to! ", the tiefling said as he recovered from the initial shock of battle. He took off his sweat filled helmet and surveyed the scene. A half dozen guards laid slain by mostly Darwen's blade. Despite his instructions, when the door opened she seemed like a woman possessed and struck them with an anger that Zax had never seen before. Before either Nymph or Zax could stop her, she drew her side at the tiefling's belt and then she promptly slew the guards on the lower level. After a frenzied massacre she bolted up the stairs seeking more victims with Nymph attempting to following her.

Besides that little incident, the plan went well. Zax never met a city guards men that couldn't be persuaded by two fine looking women in their underwear. The tiefling though it must have been their low salaries. Unlike the army which had decent wages, city guards were recruited from the lowest strata of the job pool . If you could walk and show up for work you could qualify to be a guard. Zax thought if they were paid more then they could have afforded proper prostitutes like the guys in the army . Sure the army "camp followers" were not that much to look at , but they set their prices competitively for their clientele, while the guardsmen had to go to red light districts that mostly served merchants, bureaucrats and minor nobles. All the bribe money that everyone heard about that guardsmen received all went to their officers, the simple rank and file patrol men had scant opportunity to fill their pockets save for the rare shake down of criminals they actually caught. This left them of course vulnerable to his clever plan . The guards were all too happy to open the tower to them for the promise of "soft" company.

Sadly , after his initial diplomatic success , it all went awry.

Nymph quickly returned to the top of the stairs, while putting her light armor on. "I lost track of Darwen . Did she double back here? Is she with you?", she asked looking down at Zax while tightening the last few buckles and straps of her leather breastplate.

Zax snapped out of his thoughts ."No, I was covering the exit, to make sure none escaped. ", claimed the tiefling with no indication that he was actually lying.

Nymph jumped down next to him, sticking a perfect landing as she hit the tower floor. "Seriously, we are now committed to attacking a tower right now. Who knows how much reinforcements they have. There's no time to lose, even if we get to the gate mechanism, I'm not sure if all three of us can close it. What are you doing?",she demanded. Zax thought for a maid she was pretty bossy, but he didn't pay it too much attention, since he still felt in control of the situation.

"Umm...I was thinking about economics. ", stammered the tiefling as the scantily clad maid's cold gaze drew out an answer from him.

Before Nymph could reply. A shout shot from outside. " FOR GROM! ", cried about a dozen battered looking guardsmen with weapons rushing the slightly ajar door.

Zax froze, where they friends or foes? If they were friends, he was still in his knight uniform, would they attack him? If they were foes should he shut the door? If they were friends and he shut the door, the other gate tower would cut them down with arrows , that meant that any survivors would be foes if they were formerly friends. If they were foes and he shut the door, he might be able to convince them he was just paranoid and slip up the tower to find Darwen and get her to dispatch them. He doubt he could hold off a dozen men while protecting the maid in the process though.

Before he could react, he saw maid push the door fully open and wave the men in. Zax face palmed himself and reminded himself to have a little talk with Nymph later about quick combat decision making. The guards quickly filed in seeming more relieved they have found cover then ready to do battle.

"Are you friend or foe!", Zax declared at the exhausted group.

The largest guard, who Zax assumed was the leader looked at him puzzled.

"We are friend to Grom! But we just really want a place to hide out till this chaos is over. ", the man said while catching his breath. Despite the bloody bandages on him the battle scarred guard looked the most dangerous looking of the lot.

"I'm a friend of Grom too. ", Zax said while watching their reactions.

"Wait...", the big man said. "Are you friend to the Grommers that have opened the gate, or friend to the Grommers that want it close. More specifically are you one of us or one of them? Because right now you definitely look like one of them . Which is cool with us as long as we can hide out here till the fighting is over. "

"Ummm...currently I want it closed. So that makes me one of ..um you...errrr us? And I totally don't look like one of them. I'm short and skinny , the knight guys are big and broad. ", declared the tiefling.

"I've seen some small and skinny knights before. ", said a guard behind the big guard.

"Yeah...you could be a runt knight. ", the man said with his weapon readied.

"Wait..wait...If we're going by size. I want to point out...you're pretty big...and pretty broad. It's more likely that you're one of them not I. ", declared Zax proudly to the largest guard.

The other guardsmen behind the leader shrugged, " The runt has a point. "

"I'm not a runt. I'm just slim of build. Chicks dig that. ", Zax said with a smile and a wink as he motioned to Nymph.

Nymk had had enough of this banter. "Ok, we don't have time for this . We have a gate to close and we'll need strong men to do it. So shut up and let's get the traitors! FOR GROM! ", she shouted and ran up the stairs.

None of the men or Zax followed her lead, they waited till she ran up the stairs then continued their conversation.

"So...she's with you? "

"Really feisty isn't she?"

"I thought I saw two girls. "

"Why is your skin orange?"

"What's with that leash? Do you have to pay extra for that? ", were some of the questions the guardsmen fielded to Zax.

Zax held out his hand to stop the inquiries then smiled, "Gentlemen, I know its been a hard day, and I think most of you are reluctant to risk more of your blood for an employer that pays so little. So how about we come to a little deal here. You guys follow me for the rest of the battle and I'll throw you guys a gold a piece for incentive. As you can see I already have two fine lasses, I'm sure with a gold a piece even you guys can afford some of the fine escorts and entertainers provided by in this city. Who knows if we actually save the city , some might even throw themselves at you for free.", the tiefling said with a smile.

The thought of gold or women, and possibly both seemed to have drawn the battered guardsman's attentions. As one they nodded at the tiefling knight's crass suggestion.

"Oh, I'm Zax by the way. ", smiled the tiefling . He then drew his blade and pointed it up the stairs .

"FOR GROM!", he shouted

The men behind him followed his cue, "FOR GROM! FOR ZAX! ", they roared behind him , as the tiefling and his mob pushed up the stairs.

* * *

><p>The priestess thought it was odd that rest of the buildings in the city were burning but for some reason they mostly spared this particular one. Did they want to retrieve an object here...or perhaps they were assassins sent to neutralize Lord Quick himself. If they did want Lord Quick, why did they need him alive? If they wanted him dead they could have bombarded the dining room with fire pots. It would have been easier to slay him then take him prisoner. From her brief encounters with the elf, the priestess had doubts he would provide them with any important information outside of anecdotes about his numerous ex wives or procedures for proper court dueling etiquette.<p>

After her fireball, some screams above told her that some of her attack had gone through the roof. Her group was outside the main blast, but the room was quickly burning . A normal person could not withstand the heat, but she knew that Freiki, Lilithy and herself were all protected from fire to a certain degree by their lower plane heritage.

The roof creaked and suddenly it caved in . Three knights fell heavily into the flaming rubble. Freiki jumped towards the first one and grasped his head with his jaws. It shook the man viciously but the resilient knight did not succumb and drew a dagger and began stabbing the wolf wildly in return. The other two knights stood up and advanced, but were hit by multiple magic missiles from Lilithy. The attack seemed to have little or no effect against the griffon raiders and both continued their charge.

Sharliss was unprepared for this, she had thought the fire, the fall, and Freiki would be enough to finish them. She had seriously underestimated her opponents.

She prayed for a protective sanctuary and stepped in front of Lilithy. It couldn't stop the knights from getting to her friend , but it would at least slow them down.

The knights stopped at Sharliss's barrier . The priestess attempted to hold out her arms to block them . Despite the obstacle she posed, they still managed to slip by her.

"Run Lily Run! ", cried Sharliss in despair as her friend was frozen in fear from the two charging warriors. Freiki was still snapping at a pinned knight , and it seemed ridiculous but it appeared the knight was winning against the much larger wolf in close quarters.

Sharliss knew if she attempted any direct action it would violate her sanctuary spell and would allow the knights to attack her, but she couldn't let them attack her near defenseless friend. The priestess tried to tackle one of the large knights but was rewarded with a swift mace to the face. The blow was barely stopped by an invisible barrier, but the weapon still sent Sharliss falling to the ground. As she struggled to her feet, she saw to her dismay the other knight strike down a frozen Lily with his mace. No protective barrier save her friend as blood , feather, and beak scattered along the burning floor.

Sharliss attempted a close wounds spell on her friend and it seemed to stabilize her, but the knight continued battering the defenseless tieflings on the ground. Sharliss felt her own protections fail as a sharp pain ripped through her back . Lily on the other hand fared much worse as the mace from her attacker struck her with a loud crack at the back of her skull. Sharliss cried as she was unable to help her friend.

The priestess knew that another attack would soon be the end of her, and she rolled to the side . Despite her despair she kept her head and tumbled deeper into the fire. The agile tiefling performed a move her mother taught her and managed to actually roll onto the heels of her feet , in a crouched but standing position.

Her two attackers were surprised , but hesitated to advance due to the fire. The priestess spun and attempted a hold spell on the knight wrestling the wolf . To her surprise it worked , and Freiki quickly grabbed him by the head and shook him vigorously in the fire. The wolf tossed the still man into the wall and charged the remaining warriors.

Before it could reach him, the Griffon knights swiftly drew their bows and fired arrow after arrow at the charging wolf. Freiki gave a yelp of pain as he finally succumbed to his multiple wounds. Sharliss attempted to save her long time pet and companion but an arrow struck her in the back. She turned and saw an archer that did not fall through the roof was waiting up top for a target like herself.

The priestess staggered forward in pain and wondered how Sarin did this type of stuff so easily. She reached the wolf and found he was already dead. Sharliss sensed the end was coming, and her thoughts dwelled on Sarin , her parents, and oddly enough Halvor. She hoped that they would be safe.

The archers all fired at once. She winced and expected death, but caught a glimpse of a streak of silver behind her and a flash of steel in front of her. The knights stood open jawed in amazement , as one of the butlers somehow deflected the arrow from above with a dagger, and managed to knock the arrows in front of Sharliss away with a long sword. Before they could draw another arrow, the man took a short step forward . This deceptive maneuver brought him within range of the bowmen and he swung his blade in a wide lazy arc at the archers. It did not seem like a lethal attack but it hacked the fingers off one man tore the nose off of another.

"That's for killing the girl's maid. You know how hard it is to find good help these days? ", the butler said nonchalantly. He then thrusted his blade swiftly into a shocked knight ...and then into the other . A clean stomach wound appeared in each , as they both slumped down to the ground . Sharliss knew that they would have long painful drawn out deaths. She was bound to help them, but she couldn't . She didn't even have enough magic to help herself or her friends let alone enemies that attempted to kill her a few seconds ago.

"That's for killing the wolf.", continued the butler.

Another arrow shot through the burning corridor, but the man seemed unconcern with it. The projectile struck a foot away from Sharliss and landed a few inches from the nondescript man's foot.

"Turn around Hush.. Don't look.", the man said as a dark aura gathered in his hands. A scream of pain came from above, then a slump. Sharliss turned and saw the butler throw something red and beating into the fire around them. Sharliss did not witness the attack, but suspected it to be some form of dark death magic and shuddered at her rescuer.

When the danger seemed to have passed , Sharliss fell to her knees sobbing , the grief of her companions deaths finally over taking her.

"I'm sorry for your loss, and wished I arrived sooner, but this is why your father doesn't want you adventuring. People die all the time . ", Earl the assassin said with a sudden sadness in his voice.

* * *

><p>"Gods...I love adventuring.", chirped Sarin uncharacteristically as he dispatched two more knights with his hit and run tactics as he made his way through the estate. The normally reserved and gruff knight would never say anything like that if Sharliss was around. He did not want her to follow the dangerous footsteps of her weird family. He's seen first hand the pain and suffering adventuring caused, but the half elf had to admit it was pretty fun when everything was going your way.<p>

Killing bad guys, saving maidens, and looting treasure were all activities he rated highly . His current quest didn't give him too much opportunity to indulge in any of those activities , but he did find the odd occasion to blow some steam and do some D'crawling . The caravan through the mountains gave him several chances as well as the battle through the estate. He hoped this little merry chase he lead these knights on gave Sharliss the opportunity to escape. He knew that she wouldn't attempt anything foolish like join him, he had trained her well since the day they met. In situations like this she should fall back. He wished that he was at her side right now though as the paladin did not initially realize the scale of the attack . He saw over 100 griffon knights assaulting Lord Quick's estate. Even dismounted that was enough to seriously challenge most military forces.

As Sarin retreated he spotted a tall pretty servant girl huddling in the corner of a corridor. Sarin smiled , all he needed was some treasure now, then he would have all the adventuring bases covered.

The half elf walked up to the woman and offered the raven haired beauty his hand, "Come with me if you want to live .", the half elf said gruffly, the childish glee had now been replaced with his normal dour seriousness.

As the paladin approached, suddenly the woman threw a pair of pots at him. They exploded into clouds of green mist. Sarin's eyes swelled and his lungs choked on this vile attack. The half elf attempted to cure the poison but was shocked to find his paladin healing powers couldn't affect it. He swung his spear in frustration at his now laughing unseen foe.

"Oh ..your lay on hands won't work on this. Its Elf bane. A dangerous poison that only works on elves or half elves . Most importantly it can't be cured by conventional means.", laughed the woman.

Sarin struck with his spear at the source of the laughter but was only rewarded by the feeling of his weapon striking wood. A mace blow struck him in the head, as he felt a swift breeze drift by him .

"Come now abomination. Take a few more breaths of that powder so I can return you to my father. ", taunted the woman . She struck her sheathed blade between Sarin's feet and the staggering half elf quickly found himself crashing into the ground. As he struggled to get up, the woman calmly stood over him and began pouring the dust directly onto his head. The paladin lungs seized up as he once again tried to stand, but a sharp boot to his back sent him crashing back into the ground.

* * *

><p>Captain Inutile recalled looking at the armored knight, and the barely dressed attractive woman and elf maiden he had captured. The captain remembered shrugging , and ordering the door to be open . The battle had gone according to plan so far, he thought he might as well begin enjoying his rewards early. Both of the maidens the knight brought seemed rather attractive to the former tax collector and he wondered if he could buy one from the man with his new found fortune.<p>

That was the last pleasant thought the Captain had. He knew it might have been a trick, but he had six hand picked men on the lower level, plus 40 others in the tower. Even if the intruder was a veteran knight warrior a single man could not beat all of them. The sounds of battle and the high pitched scream of a woman echoed through his guard tower, convinced him otherwise.

Cries of invaders, and pain filled the gate house. The other guard tower reacted by sending men through the upper parapet to assist their comrades. Inutile was no stranger to battle and drew his long sword before rushing to repel the invader. As he left his office he noticed outside the window about a dozen guards shouting "Grom!" or something rush his tower. They were most likely loyalists that were waiting for an opportune moment to strike. Some crossbowmen from the towers fired at the approaching group and several fell, unfortunately the bulk of the defenders had more pressing matters to attend to. The former tax collector cursed as he knew there were probably more loyalists hiding nearby in the surrounding buildings. There was a wide killing field between the nearest structures and his tower, but that meant nothing if his men were occupied. He had to regain control of the tower in a hurry, before they were overrun .

Inutile open the door of his office and was greeted by the sight of a blood covered elf with a silvery elven blade. Inutile was a veteran of many campaigns and saw the same bloodlust and fury in her eyes as he did when he once faced a viking berzerker. Even though she was unarmored except for an exotic leaf bra and panties , her skin glowed with a slight protective armor like aura. She waved her hands and a massive invisible force wrenched the sword from his hands and sent it clattering down the stairs behind her.

"I can explain...I can explain...", blubbered the new Captain of the North Gate as he backed into his office away from this nightmarish attacker.

The elf shook her head, "What's to explain ...you betrayed the trust people place in you. You allowed these raiders to pillage the city and rape its women. You probably expected a share of any treasure and slaves that were caught as well...Am I correct?", hissed Darwen, the thoughts of her own recent experiences of fortress betrayal clearly resurfacing in her mind.

"Err do you want a cut or something?", asked the tax collector as he clumsily attempted a diplomatic solution to the obstacle ahead of him.

She could have chosen several witty responses at that moment , instead she screamed like a savage Tundra lion and slashed at him in a fury. Her first blow could have easily killed the man, but she chose her strikes carefully. Each attack drew out maximum pain and suffering from the traitor as he was methodically being cut to ribbons. When he finally passed out from the shock and pain, the elf stabbed him once more in the head, triggering a final jolt of pain to his overloaded system.

As her victim died, Darwen suddenly realized the terrible thing she had done. Killing your opponent was one thing, but butchery like this went against everything she stood for . She fell to her knees , sword falling to the ground and wept into her own bloody hands.

* * *

><p>Zax felt pretty confident with his small contingent of guards he hired . He ordered two to watch the door for more reinforcements or more likely attackers and the rest followed him up the tower. From the carnage he witnessed , he assumed Darwen had no problems dealing with the small fortress's defenders. In the open she might be vulnerable to their numbers, but in close quarters he knew she would be hard to handle. Nymph followed him closely, and Zax noticed she was keeping a close eye on him. That was expected though, as Zax thought he cut a handsome image in his magical armor. He likened himself to one of the great knights of legends, Sir Polly, Admiral Douglas, or even the great Monte Nabisco. Zax decided to keep his banner as he charged. Even though it was pretty useless in a fight, made things crowded as he ran up stairs, and was generally unwieldy, it did strike him as something a hero would do. He looked up at the banner and grimaced at the furry dog symbol on it. He would have to change that one of these days. Maybe to a cobra or a charging bull. It would have to be in velvet too he thought.<p>

* * *

><p>The men looked in awe at the slain men as they advanced up the tower. Each appeared to be killed with but a single blow. They of course assumed it was the work of their new leader. The orange faced knight boldly walked up the stairs unafraid of whatever defenders might still be hidden with his banner in hand. It was an unwieldy item , but the men thought he looked particularly heroic with it as he strode through the tower. The order of the Husky was one of the more fearsome of the minor orders, known for their resilience and adaptability. There were talks of the Last Champion of the Husky was in the city and the men sensed they were in his presence. There was light combat as they advanced upwards, mostly wounded soldiers or men that had hidden themselves , but the loyalist guards knew the battle was far from over . The other tower was still full of enemies and braced themselves for the eventual assault that was to come. They were probably better off hiding in some building and waiting it out, but this Sir Zax's heroism was truly inspirational. Thoughts of cowardice were replaced with thoughts of bravery ,retribution against the invaders , and a big fat reward as they watched their new leader valiantly assault the tower.<p>

"The officers quarters are that way. ", said the guards former spokesman , as he pointed to an open door by the stairs. The men knew Captain Inutile was recently appointed , but most had served with him before. As well as being a member of the fearsome tax collectors, he was a veteran of many campaigns and was both an expensive and dangerous foe. They hesitated to enter the room and waited on the stairs. Zax seemed to wave them forward , but none of the men moved . The scantily clad woman named Nymk who their leader referred to as Nymph, stood by the knight and signaled everyone to wait. Without a word she began to sneak into the room. As the group stalled in their advance on the stairs , a quiet sobbing could be heard from the room. The men were shocked as Sir Zax sprang into action, he literally pushed the stalking woman out of the way as he flew into the room with blade in hand.

The men hesitated for a few seconds, but after a few tense moments of silence they followed into the room after their leader. What they saw shocked them. The chief traitor himself Inutile was butchered on the ground, next to him was their leader Zax comforting a barely clothed elf sobbing in despair. It didn't take a genius for them to figure out what had happened. Inutile had obviously taken Zax's woman captive and was taking advantage of her. When Zax heard that, he flew into a rage and took the man out in his wrath. The fact no one actually heard the battle fought was lost on the men , as they gazed at their leader in awe.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry,,,so sorry... I lost it...really lost it...", whispered Darwen as Zax held her tight.<p>

Zax was at a lost for words. He looked at the mangled pulp of a man before him and shuddered . He held the elf and felt the fear still within her . He met crazy women before in Lower Lueders, they were mainly compulsive liars, over possessive, or down right delusional. He always did the smart thing with them and dumped their asses and stayed far away. Darwen was different, she wasn't mildly neurotic she was a full blown psychopath. Every instinct in Zax's brain told him to leave her at the first opportunity and run for the hills. The mangled body in the office could easily be him . Zax knew that the elf was a better swordsman then he was, and she possessed magic at least as powerful as Petrus's . He felt most resentful because the real kicker was that she could imitate his special power and use it at such a level that it was actually useful. Even under his most fanciful flights of self delusion the tiefling knew he would be no match for her in a real fight. He considered throwing her aside right now and jumping out the window. He felt it was even odds he could survive the fall and run into the woods, there to join his druid brothers in a life time of tree hugging and ethical animal care. To stay with this crazy elf was just a death sentence waiting to happen . He could imagine the first casual argument they had would quickly result in his painful death. Worse still, if she ever came to her senses and realized what a loser he actually was, he could see himself burned, or carved into little ribbons of orange flesh . The smart thing to do was to break contact as soon as he could, and go far far away.

Despite his irrefutable logic, Zax couldn't bring himself to release her. The elf sobbed quietly in his arms, and he gently calmed her with his touch. At that point of time he didn't care if the city was being over run or that the other tower was preparing to over take his . He didn't even care that the raiding knights would be returning soon. All he was worried about was this fragile weeping elf in his arms.

"Zax, Zax...", Nymk said gently tugging his arm. Zax ignored the barbarian maid as he had more pressing matters at hand.

"UP STAIRS! ", cried one of his guardsmen as the sounds of battle erupted from the stairwell.

"Zax...place a guard on her, place two if you like...if we don't take over the other tower, we'll be over run by knights . Darwen won't be safe then . I need you to lead these men, they won't listen to me, they'll listen to you though. ", asked Nymph one more time as he left the tiefling and prepared to engage the attackers on the stairs.

Darwen nodded at Zax and hugged the tiefling one more time. The tiefling thought about escaping with the elf and pursuing his druidic dreams together with her but knew that she was in no condition to move. He left her in a corner and produced a blanket from his satchel for her.

"Stay put. I'll be back soon.", said Zax as he wondered what exactly did Nymph wanted him to do. A cleaning maid and a fake hero wasn't going to get far. He considered "Darwen" the muscle of the trio and knew they were seriously lacking the power and skill to defeat their foes. He thought his heroic image he projected must have really brain washed the awe struck maid. Zax thought he might have to tone down his image a little if he ever got out of this alive. Maybe act cowardly once in a while to deliberately tarnish his image. He had to adjust his reputation a bit, enough so he could get free drinks and business opportunities, but not so much that he would be called on to directly lead sieges and thwart enemy armies.

Zax reduced his banner back to a light club , and drew oohs and ahhs from his men. He knew he didn't want to over impress his men, but the showman within him couldn't resist the attention and he twirled his club skillfully to their delight. He then transformed his broadsword into a rapier and charged up the stairs.

The upper levels were mostly cleared of opposition , but a few staunch defenders remained. Half the soldiers that initially engaged them and the maid Nymph had dispatched most before Zax joined them. Zax saw a wounded man attempt to escape and slammed his club into his back with contempt. The man stopped and turned around to face his new attacker, but the maid stabbed him from the back while he was distracted.

"I had him well handled. ", Zax said loudly to impress the men. Once again Zax promised himself to once again try to stop boasting and showboating. Exaggerating his reputation in a tavern was one thing, doing it in a battlefield was another. He had to make sure he lived, not just for himself but for poor Darwen. Someone had to take care of her else she'd be locked up in an asylum or something , the tiefling thought.

Nymk shrugged at his comment and ran to the upper levels. Not to be outdone by the risk taking maid, Zax followed and so did his men . Faced with the seemingly unstoppable attackers, the few remaining defenders of the first tower quickly surrendered and were subdued. Nymk waved Zax to the top of the tower . The pair crouched behind parapets as she pointed to the other tower.

Zax saw that the other tower seemed locked down and had to duck as a crossbow bolt sailed harmlessly over his head. The defenders were also firing at a group of loyalists that tried to join the first group and easily dispersed them. They seemed content not to retake the tower he just liberated and just wait it out till the bulk of the knight army returned.

"The surprise of our attack is over. They've locked themselves down. What's worse is we can't close the gate without the other tower. We have to break through the hard way. ", she said while retrieving her bow.

She nocked a black arrow and fired at a guard standing by the parapets, he only presented a small profile, but her arrow easily struck him square in the skull. His screams sent the other rebels ducking behind cover and employing the more defensible arrow slits instead.

"Wait...that arrow its black. Just like the sniper! ", stammered Zax in surprise.

Nymk knew that her guise was finally over. Even the thick headed Zax saw through her ruse at last. She had failed the Grand Champion's request for keeping her identity secret and cursed herself for getting too involved with Zax and his companions. She should have just stayed on the roof and watched, but their plights moved her to take a more direct role. She didn't regret it though , she could not idly sit by during the fight, the Grand Champion would get over it, and she did meet some interesting people . Some very large interesting people she thought with a smile.

"Where did you buy those arrows! They must have been custom made! I bet the sniper shots at the same place you do! Did you see any suspicious patrons at that store? I assume the sniper is really short since he can hide so well. Probably stout , maybe a dwarf or a short human with a wrestler's build since the draw on his bow must be great. I'm guessing since he doesn't come off the roof that often so he probably smells! He most definitely has poor hygiene. I'm imagining a smelly Kirgi dressed in black . Have you seen such a person at the fletchers? ", asked Zax in surprise.

Nymk once again stared at Zax and studied his face. The tiefling seemed to believe the profile he had conjured in his head. She was a bit miffed at the unflattering description he attributed to her, but smiled and shook her head at his question.

"Let's focus at the task at hand. Even if we tried a direct assault they would take us down with their withering defensive fire. We are stalemated. They are too alert to attempt to sneak past and by the time they let their guard down the raiders will return. I will need a distraction .", she said attempting to change the subject away from the sniper.

Zax considered this, he was guessing that the guards on the other tower were probably more scared of the loyalists then he was of the rebels at that point. They had just stormed one tower, and presumably slew their captain. Zax wondered what they were thinking at that point. Were they thinking of holding out and escaping with the rest of the raiders? Or were they just thinking of survival ? Maybe it was something more material then that. They were obviously recruited by the Captain, and if he was the Captain he wouldn't have paid them till after the battle to ensure loyalty of course. With their leader gone, they were probably thinking like regular Grommers. Who's gonna pay them?

Zax then wondered why Nymk needed a distraction. Was she going to dust them to death, maybe hit them with a mop? He wondered if she knew an alternate way into the tower. That made sense to Zax, since she was a maid. Most important places have a service entrance for the help. She did spend an entire day stuck here waiting for his duel last week. It might be plausible if she discovered a secret servant entrance.

Zax wasn't sure her exact reasoning, but he knew that he had to end this . Not just for him to save his hide, but for Darwen's sake. He wasn't sure what a distraction would accomplish but he resolved himself to provide one.

Zax suddenly stood up , his club once again transformed into the banner of the mighty Furry Dog. Several bolts were fired, but Zax resisted the strong urge to duck or flinch. He was partially obscured by the parapet but he also hoped that the enemy wasn't that great of a shot.

"Hold your fire! I want to talk !", declared Zax before the next most likely more accurate volley was directed at him. Nymk stared at him in shock and considered yanking him down but the tiefling motioned for her to remain still. Zax was about to explain his actions but then he noticed she had vanished. Most likely fleeing to the servant's entrance.

The tiefling breathed a sigh of relief as no more bolts came from the other tower, they would hear him out at least. " I regret to inform you that your leader Captain TraitorScum has been dispatched. Before he died though, I was able to extract the location of the treasure he was given to betray his countrymen!".

"What! He said the knights would pay everyone after the battle ! He didn't say anything about being paid in advance! ", said a voice from the other tower.

"Ha ha ! and you believed him ? Trust me , no one does this sort of thing without cash up front. Now as I was saying, my companions and I have no intention of taking your tower, we are happy with just the cash. Now we'll leave you alone if you let us leave peacefully. ", Zax declared.

"That's our money !", yelled a different voice before being silenced.

A brief pause settled on the rebel tower as they considered Zax's statement. "No deal! We want what's owed to us! Leave us our loot then you can leave. We'll cut you down if you try to escape or we can just wait till the knights return . Then you'll get yours. ", yelled a rebel spokesman.

Zax laughed at the suggestion, "Oh please. If the knights got to us first, they will most definitely keep the treasure for themselves. They might even punish you for failing in your task, since we'll be sure to put up a fight . If I was a knight and I saw a supposed friendly tower firing at me, I won't distinguish which one was friendly , I would think both were hostile. ", declared the tiefling.

Another pause settled on the enemy as they considered his statement.

"Give us half then you can leave.", the spokesman declared again.

"This isn't a bazaar here. We are proud defenders of Grom. We don't deal with terrorists. The way I see it, we might be dead if the knights get here first , but if the loyalist wins and we survive this we'll be treated as heroes. You on the other hand, face certain torture or death if the Grommers win, and most likely death if the raiders win. No treasure for you guys either way. You rebels are screwed! ", laughed Zax.

Again another pause from the enemy.

"Ok just go then! Give us the other tower back. ", said another spokesman. Zax assumed the rebels did not like the way the current negotiations were going .

"We intend to do that, but we need assurances that you will not shoot us while we leave. After that you can be good little rebels and hold the gate for your paymasters. ", yelled Zax.

"Errr.. you want hostages or something? ", yelled another voice. A muffled argument and a painful cry came from the rebel tower.

"Look ...I'm tired of these games. Let me talk to your leader .", Zax yelled smiling. He could talk to these suckers all day. If Nymph need a distraction he could definitely provide one.

"We...we have no leader...", said several voices at once.

Zax sensed a hint of despair in their voices. The tiefling thought over this and decided on a new approach of attack. "This isn't going according to plan is it? I bet you thought you were going to be living the high life in one of the southern realms this time tomorrow, instead you guys are facing certain painful inevitable doom. Looks like you boys chose the wrong side .", the tiefling yelled clearly enjoying the game he was playing.

No answer was returned.

"You know...as a good personal friend to Lord Quick , or Quicky as I like to call him, I can put a word in for you guys. That is if you surrender to me now, its win win for both of us. I hate to exaggerate my reputation, but I can claim I took both towers, and you guys have my assurances that you won't be executed or tortured for your crimes. ", Zax yelled. The tiefling of course knew he could not provide any such assurances, but at this point of the conversation the truth was hardly of consequence.

"We don't want to be imprisoned! ", said a voice from lower in the tower. Some voices from above also confirmed this. Zax smiled the game was almost over.

"Ok look. If you guys give up right now, I'll say that Captain TraitorScum used mind control magic on you. I am a very honest man, so it pains me to lie like this, but if I claim you were under some mass charm they will probably be lenient with you. That's my best offer, no more negotiations just surrender your tower to me now. ", declared Zax. He knew it was risky, but he couldn't resist the temptation for even more glory. The tiefling stood on top of the parapets. Blade in hand pointing at the tower with his banner planted next to him firmly blowing in the wind. Zax almost lost his footing on the ledge, but luckily the banner helped to keep his balance. With his heroic pose, and the glint of the burning city shining off his blade , soldiers from both sides gasped at the imposing figure of the heroic Zax in all his glory.

The main door on the roof of the other tower opened. Nymph the maid stepped out with blade in hand and shrugged.

"They all just dropped their weapons ...they just gave up...", she said in confusion.

"I know...they aren't as stupid as they look. ", smiled Zax as his men quickly stormed and secured the rebel tower.


	27. Chapter 27

Griffon Prince Stormfeather sat on his trusty steed Grimtalon. The pair were perched high above Grom City on one of the so called dreaded siege golems of King Alphonso. Myths and legends of the dreaded power of the ancient constructs had kept many of Grom's foes at bay, but it seemed that the might of Grom was all myths and legends after all. The towering golems seemed more like crude stone perches then mythical harbingers of destruction to the griffon prince.

Stormfeather knew that Grom kept a vast army of golems, but only a dozen or so defended the city. His "spies" also reported at least 4 ancient siege golems placed around the palace, but so far even 3 hours into the battle they had served as nothing but glorified statues. The statues were impressive though, carved to resemble some ancient Grommish hero and towering close to 50 feet into the sky , the griffon prince could see how even inert it could cow the population and frightened Grom's enemies. His own mages had indeed detected them as magical, but clearly the Grommers did not know how to use them or more likely they were just enchanted to appear more magical then actually were.

The Griffon Prince also anticipated the feared dread guard of Alphonso. Supposedly a cadre of demonic horsemen the old emperor used as a personal guard . Cold iron and blessed weapons were given out to the troops, but that proved to be an unnecessary precaution. Even the assault on the palace did not bring forth these dire avengers from wherever they were hiding .

The various myriad of military orders that Grom was famous for also did not live up to their reputation. The town guard and militia were a joke. Most fled at the sight of a knight charging a top a war steed. They were even the instrument of the cities down fall, as they were easily bribed and allowed the bulk of the ground based units to surge unimpeded into the city. The Royal Rangers were not to be seen, and the royal tax collectors scattered or were overpowered by his army. From the reports given , the First Army Garrison proved to be tenacious defenders, with their dragon golems and their more traditional constructs they were a hard enemy to face, but they were few and disorganized. His spies staged an assault on their barracks before the battle, and managed to kill a few if not all of their officers. Afterwards , a full two flights (40 ) of griffon riders bombarded their compound with Alchemist fire to put them on the defensive. The remaining soldiers did manage to rally from the surprise attack, but by then it was too late, the city was compromised.

This was not to say that all of Grom's staunch defenders failed the test. The Grom Royal Skyfleet was definitely unexpected. Once again his spies told Stormfeather that only a pair were stationed in Grom City, one of them was being refitted. He did not expect an additional squadron to reinforce from the north. His riders had been unable to bring down one of the cursed vessels. One of maybe two of the ships would not be a problem, but the cursed Grommers employed a deadly echelon formation for their ships. The over lapping fields of fire they projected made assaulting any of them a sortie worthy of being labeled "death watch". The only good thing was that they lost a fair bit of their mobility when in such a formation so his knights were able to evade the bulk of their attacks.

Lastly the feared and iconic Royal Adventurers of Grom proved to be worthy of their reputation. His spies reported only two in Grom City, Lord Karak and Lord Quick. Rolf reported that the aged and ancient Karak , steward and acting high Royal adventurer managed to slay over two dozen knights before being overwhelmed. Reports were that the man was 250 years old, magics had extended his life , but he was still withered and frail. Despite his condition he was still more then a match for his knights one on one. Lord Quick was the opposite of Karak. He was an accursed elf, naturally blessed with supernatural long life. Stormfeather knew he harbored the abomination and initially sent his sister Lionsong and three flights of griffons to capture the creature. The initial attack was easily repulsed , so the Griffon prince sent two platoons of mercenaries to aid them. They too were scattered. The Griffon prince considered going himself, but when news that the northern Skyfleet had arrived, he committed his reserves and sent five flights of his dreaded griffon riders in to aid his sister. He had expected the battle to be swiftly over, but the melee continued in the elf lord's estate.

"Oh mighty prince!", yelled a squire mounted on a hovering griffon.

Stormfeather waited a few seconds atop his perch and studied the skill the young knight handled in maintaining his beasts hovering. After a while he considered his skill sufficient and waved him to speak.

"Your brother Iceclaw returns. He has the accursed abomination Zax's head and blade. Also your sister Lionsong reports from the battle ground at Lord Quick's estate. She has the abomination , subdued and alive.", reported the squire.

Stormfeather smiled partially from his sister's success and partially because of his dark desire for her , "Excellent ! Prepare to signal our withdraw.", the griffon lord commanded. Despite the good news, it would still be a difficult task to evade so many skyships . They would most likely break formation in their pursuit, he expected many of his griffon knights to be slain in the retreat.

"Sir...Lord Rolf has reported the royal palace captured and secured. He requests either additional troops to transport their treasury . Also there are reports that the north gate has fallen. Our ground forces are trapped inside for the time being , unless we secure another gate. ", the squire continued.

The griffon prince pondered the reports. He wasn't sure if Iceclaw would succeed in his mission, but his father insisted that since the abomination had such close ties with this hero Zax, that he should be eliminated to prevent retribution. Stormfeather was half hoping his dear brother would be slain, but his victory was welcomed news. The griffon prince knew that Lionsong would be successful, since she always was. Capturing the abomination was their main objective and it now opened the option to withdraw from battle in victory. He had expected Rolf to be ruthlessly slaughtered , news of his victory was unexpected to say the least. That he managed to secure the treasury was definitely surprising. Champion Felwind wanted an assault on the palace to draw the majority of the defenders to it. The plan worked but it seemed the city was defended far more lightly then anticipated. Stormfeather knew that he didn't have enough men to hold the city, but he could hold the palace. He knew that if he properly manned it , it would not fall as easily as the previous defenders let it.

Dreams of conquest danced in the Griffon prince's head. The mission was important, but why settle for a diplomatic pawn when he could seize the entire country. With the palace and treasury at his disposal, he could take claim of the city then the country. He was sure that he could bribe more of the local militia and possibly army to his side. The skyships were an obstacle, but they could with stand their power while in the royal palace . He knew they would be harder to bribe, but even if one or two fell to his influence that would tip the balance of power. The north gate was of minor consequence, since he cared not for the mercenaries after the battle was over. He would take it back as a matter of pride , and concentrate on the palace's defenses.

However , the wishes of his father were not to be taken lightly. Stormfeather shuddered at the thought if "The Great Hunting Bird" found out he had deviated from his wishes. A nightmare vision of the Griffon Lord riding his black feather mount haunted the knight. Even though he was over a thousand miles away , he knew his father's anger would be relentless and ultimately terminal. It matter not that he advanced the overall position of his order.

Stormfeather scanned the battlefield and carefully considered his next course of action.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick stumbled through his estate. His vision had mostly returned but his eyes still stung and his throat still burned. Parts of the upper level had caught on fire , but his estate was mostly intact. He reached a balcony and noticed hundreds of griffons and riders withdrawing from his home. With his acute sylvan hearing he could hear that their mission was accomplished their target was secured. The elf lord's anger welled up within him. Today had gone from bad to worse. First his party was interrupted, then his chance at the lady Sharliss was ruined, later his butler showed him up and embarrassed him, now they were attacking his manor. Attacking his estate was one thing but not being the target of their assault was unforgivable.<p>

The elf summoned his magic and unleashed a bolt of lightning. The electrical attack struck a griffon directly and struck a few more with a glancing hit. The Griffons squawked in pain, but their riders urged them to continue upwards. That wasn't to say that the elf lord suffered no retribution though. While the estate had escaped a fiery fate earlier, the griffon riders rained a torrent of alchemist fire upon Lord Quick's abode as they left.

* * *

><p>"By Rawk! What do these creatures eat?", declared Lionsong as her Griffon struggled to remain in flight. The normally fast and proud war mount seemed strained and exhausted as it struggled with its massive load. It flew uneasily and almost lost control on several occasions due to its cargo.<p>

Sarin's face was still covered in green dust, but he yawned lazily unaware of the dangerous predicament he was in. He was a prisoner of the raiders and was balanced precariously on a griffon several hundred feet off the ground. The half elf lazily shifted his weight and the Knight Princess barely manged to control her mount as his movements translated to violent turbulence.

Lionsong scowled at the abomination, and punched him in his fat stomach. She withdrew it quickly as it met an unexpected mass of corded muscles. The Griffon Huntress silently cursed as she made her way to the palace.

* * *

><p>As Lord Quick's estate burned around them, Sharliss looked in vain at the bodies of Lilithy and Freiki. Her powers weren't enough to save them. They weren't even enough to save herself, she only survived by the chance of meeting of her father's old friend. Earl, the master assassin also known as Sir Eggbert of Grom.<p>

"We gotta get out of here. ", said Earl calmly as he stepped away from a burning beam. Even though Sharliss had some resistance to fire, she could still feel the heat and smoke from the inferno . Earl on the other hand seemed unfazed and unaffected by the disaster unfolding before him

Sharliss nodded and followed the nondescript man. "Walk this way. Try to follow my exact footsteps. Despite your growth I'm still a bit heavier then you , so the boards should support your weight. ", the man said as he swiftly made his way out of the estate.

As the pair emerged, Earl nodded to her. "Thank you, for not revealing my presence at the party. I noticed you had saw through my simple disguise.", he said as he retrieved several wooden sticks from his vest.

Sharliss looked at him in shock. The estate was destroyed and her friends were slain, but the man was only worried about some useless espionage game he played. She wanted to scream at him but thought better of it. He did save her life, and this attack on the city was clearly not something he caused. Better to vent her wrath on someone more deserving she reasoned through her fury.

"I wasn't sure if it was really you actually. You're kind of hard to pick out in a crowd . We have to find Sarin and Isula. I doubt a burning building can stop those two. ", she said bravely, unsure of her words.

"Sarin's the fat one right?", asked Earl as he lit the sticks and placed them on the ground. The priestesses quickly nodded and Earl pointed into the night sky.

Even though she had superior night vision , the darkness and the smoke obscured the object that the Assassin was pointing at. Sharliss squinted and could dimly see a struggling griffon carrying a large humanoid shaped object draped upon its back. She could see its rider was clearly agitated and the beast strained to fly with such a heavy burden.

"Sar! They have Sar! We have to help! ", she cried as she was on the verge of losing her composure. If they had captured Sarin, then Isula was most likely slain or captured as well she reasoned. Those she had counted as her closest friends were being eliminated or captured one by one. Sharliss was on the edge of snapping, she considered her companions her greatest asset , but now her world was in tatters as she faced it alone.

Earl placed a firm hand on her shoulders. "Listen girl. I want to help, really I do. As bizarre as it seems, I think they attacked the estate for the purpose of capturing our fat friend there. I would like nothing better to stop what ever they are planning, however they are too far away to shoot right now, even if I had a bow handy. Even if I did, chances are that would only result in their hostage plummeting to his doom. Now is not the time to lose your head. I know its a lot to ask a young girl, but I need you to think like your father or mother right now. They got through worse then this , let me tell you. A few thousand renegade knights is nothing compared to an army of snakemen and devils, or a half million gnolls. They wouldn't be panicking right now, and you shouldn't be either. Stay cool , we'll figure something out. "

Sharliss grew mad at the mention of her parents. How dare he compare her with them. She loved them dearly but it was unfair for him to measure her with such formidable adventurers. As her fiendish anger reached the boiling point, she took a deep breath and slowly breathed out. He was right. Even if she wasn't like the mighty Warmaster or his deadly Bard companion she could at least honor them by her actions. She would be selfish if she threw a fit right now, she had to summon the courage to continue by choosing the right path. She let her anger subside, and she nodded meekly to the assassin. "Ok...what do we do first?", she said as she prepared to tackle their predicament logically.

Earl grinned at the girl. He had expected her to panic and did not relish the thought of knocking her out or slapping her back to her senses. Even though she was the adopted child of the Warmaster, he could see many traces of the man's determination and grit in her. "First we need a ride. ", the Assassin said, while pointing to a large dark object slowly descending towards them.

* * *

><p>"Are you ok?", asked Zax nervously to the elf huddled under the blanket.<p>

Darwen looked at Zax with shame. "I..I lost control there. I'm not a butcher...but that's what I became. I heard how you took the other tower with almost no deaths, that's what I should be aiming for ...not this. I should have followed your lead . ", said the elf softly. Her eyes were dry but the streaks on her face told Zax that she had expended them earlier.

Zax grasped her hand and held it tight. "The guard captain deserved his fate. We can't be expected to choose the right actions all the time. We can discuss this later. We have to get ready to move. Their amassing outside , I don't think we can hold them."

Darwen nodded and cursed herself for her failure once again. She would have preferred to stay in her corner but the tiefling's words and reassuring grip were calming to her shattered psyche. It was bad enough to lose physically in a duel to Sir Albin but it was much worse to lose mentally to her own dark urges. She didn't think she was capable of sinking so low, but the remains of the captain were testament of her depravity. She once cursed those that abused their power and preyed on the weak, but the handiwork of her hypocrisy was laid bare for her to see.

The elf considered staying in the tower to accept the fate of the defenders, but the tieflings firm warm grip convinced her to continue. She looked at his pleading face, and saw he didn't care if she was a failure and a villain. He only wanted her to be safe, and for now that was enough for her to follow.

As Darwen followed Zax to the upper parapets , she saw that the original dozen guards were reinforced by thirty or forty more loyalist guards. She wondered if any of them were secretly traitors in disguise, but she didn't really care if they were or not at the moment. She looked down at the gate and saw that rubble and debris were piled before the gate, scattered around the tower were close to 50 dead raiders and war mounts. That would have been encouraging from a tactical point of view , except for the several hundred more that remained waiting at the other side of the common grounds.

"They'll use the mammoths next to batter the gates and smash the walls. After that it will be hand to hand. As staunch as these remaining guards are, they won't be able to last too long in melee with northern knights and warriors. ", said Nymk as she scanned the horizon for targets. The swordswoman was once again dressed in leather armor, and seemed more warrior then maid at the moment.

"We'll make them pay dearly if they expect to leave our city after raiding it and enslaving its citizenry !", said a guard sergeant that Darwen hadn't notice before. She guessed by the wounds on the man, that he was a loyalist and had fought tooth and nail against the attackers . Unlike the original band that had to be convinced to work for Zax earlier.

"Yes...we'll make them pay alright . ", said Zax. "I have a plan though. You guys keep them busy, Darwen and I will sneak out through the servants entrance during the battle and catch them in a "classic pinch her" maneuver !", declared the tiefling proudly.

Nymk saw through his cowardly plan and stared at him coldly. The sergeant simply shook his head,"I believe that's pincer not pinch her...but I'm sure if anyone could make that work , it would be you Sir Zax. But sadly there is no servant's entrance. ", she said solemnly.

Zax was about to ask how Nymk gained access to the tower, when suddenly a loud booming voice shook the common grounds.

"CAPTAIN INUTILE! WHY HAVE YOU CLOSED THE GATE ON US ? I KNOW YOU GROMMERS ARE INHERENTLY GREEDY , BUT I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE WISE ENOUGH TO RENEGOTIATE BEFORE OR AFTER A BATTLE, NOT DURING ONE. WE CAN EITHER STORM YOUR PATHETIC DEFENSES NOW OR YOU CAN OPEN THE GATE AND LET MY MEN LEAVE IN PEACE. I'LL EVEN THROW IN A HALF DOZEN OF THE PRETTIEST GIRLS WE CAUGHT AS A SIGN OF GOODWILL, AND TO SHOW WE ARE WILLING TO SHARE THE WEALTH! ", declared a large antlered helmed man on a boar.

Darwen's keen eye sight focused on the raiders ranks. She could see hundreds of captives amongst them, men , women , children. Her blood ran hot once again as she saw her own despair etched on their faces.

Darwen squeezed Zax's arm tightly and took him to a corner.

"Owww...watch it! ", yelped the tiefling from the elf's strong grip.

"We can't let them leave with those prisoners. Please Zax , I know you're planning to leave in the battle and save yourself, but you can't let them leave with those slaves. You have to do something !", she pleaded as their eyes locked. Darwen could only see fear and confusion in the Zax's eyes and for a second she thought her appeal was in vain. The elf and tiefling's gazes remained locked as trumpets began sounding outside. Zax slowly nodded and his entire body shook nervously. As his eyes withdrew from Darwen's his entire demeanor was replaced by that of the hero people had expected of him. The elf wondered how much was real and how much was just for show.

Despite Nymk's and the sergeant's warnings, Zax marched valiantly to the top of the battlements.

* * *

><p>The griffon prince stood in the throne room , surveying the battle outside the window. The palace was theirs, and his troops manned the fortifications. He surveyed the area and was suitably impressed by the degree of sophistication these Grommers had placed in the palace's design. It's defenses was as great as any of the Great Knight Strongholds. Mammoth Keep, Knight Hold , even the Griffon Spire. He was sure with a thousand men , he could withstand a siege for months here. The servants and nobles that were caught inside were being rounded up , and little or no resistance was met. Only the odd reports of a murderous white chitinous beast seen in the lower levels marred his almost perfect take over of the seat of Grommish power.<p>

"Send word immediately. Recall our remaining forces to the palace. Tell them , there's been a change of plans. If we hold the palace , we hold the city , then we hold the country. ", declared Stormfeather to his scouts and messengers. It was a gross simplification but it would suffice.

"Sir...most of the mercenaries , they signed on for only a quick raid. They won't like it if it turns into a long siege. ", stammered the messenger the furthest away from the Griffon Prince.

Stormfeather scowled, he hated when his orders were questioned, but he knew the man was correct. He simply grabbed a handful of gems and jewels and threw it at the man. "Tell them we have the treasury. Fill your saddle bags and tell them there's more if they obey my commands. Now go! ", he commanded with a dire edge to his voice.

The messengers and scouts quickly filled sacks of treasure and left the throne room on their errands. Stormfeather then waved a trusted knight over. "Tell my sister to be ready. ", he whispered.

"And your brother?", asked a senior knight at the Griffon Prince's side.

"He'll go with me. Win or lose, I like to have the biggest body guard if possible.", chuckled Stormfeather.

* * *

><p>"Why does it not surprise me that I would find you in the middle of this. ", declared Captain Ramirez to his two new passengers as the passenger basket that was lowered was raised to the decks.<p>

Earl shrugged ,"This whole attack is a diversion. This was all a kidnapping ploy. The orders given to the skyships was just a lucky coincidence. ", the Assassin said plainly as he exited the basket. Some clerics were on hand but he waved them aside, they happily helped his young companion though as she seemed a bit in shock from the whole affair.

The captain pointed to the burning city. "All this for a kidnapping? It seems a bit excessive don't you think? I thought they could have hired some thugs or something to do the same thing. ",declared Rameriz in disbelief.

"Their prey is too elusive for simple cloak and dagger tactics. From what I saw it took over a hundred griffon riders to secure their target. ", shrugged Earl as he scanned the battleground below.

"So..do you mind if I ask who this target? Maybe Sharliss? Of "Marry me Sharliss! " fame. ", the captain laughed as he recalled in shock the nature of the secret message he was ordered to deliver. He had to use special lenses to see the Rs on the message but fortunately his ship was well equipped to handle such a simple task.

Earl chuckled back, a bit of the captain's humor had rubbed off on him in this grim battle. "No..but don't take my word for it. Why don't you ask her yourself.", he said while pointing at his companion who was shooing the clerics away.

Ramirez looked at the young lady , and was amazed that he didn't notice her beauty before. He admonished himself mentally for not taking note of her, and despaired that old age might be catching up to him. "Forgive me my lady! I apologize for not attending to you early, but as you can see my duty to Grom takes precedence. ", lied the captain, as he thought of a way to mask his slip.

Sharliss bowed, "It's quite alright, and our "butler" here is correct , that message was for me. ", she said while blushing.

"So are we aware of the true kidnapping victim them? Lord Quick? Lord Karak? Those are the only two important personages I am aware of in Grom City at the moment. ", asked the confused Captain marveling at the blushing young woman in front of him.

"It's my bodyguard. Sarin. Before you ask, I wouldn't have believed it either but I saw it with my eyes. I thought why would anyone want to capture him, but the more I thought about it the more it makes sense.", replied the priestess as she attempted to deflect the dashing Captain's attentions.

"Ramirez...please stop it. Please continue Hush. ", replied Earl referring to Sharliss by her more familiar name. The casual use of her name or nickname was enough to stay Ramirez and made him wonder the exact nature of the pairs relationship. Their true association was innocent enough, but the captain decided to err on the side of caution for now.

"Well to begin with the attackers are knights of the north, or at least a faction of knights of the north. If they were going to kidnap anyone I suspect it would be someone to be used to gain leverage in their upcoming Champion's meeting. Well Sarin is not only the grandson to my father the famed Warmaster,...", Sharliss explained.

"Wait...you're the daughter of Warmaster Fetch!", exclaimed the Captain in shock. Suddenly the girl became that much more dangerous and correspondingly more desirable in the Captain's eyes.

"Hey did someone say Fetch! Did I tell you guys I taught him everything he knows, even saved his bacon a few times earlier in my career ! My...why hello miss...wait ...Hush? ", asked Colonel Clovis as he wandered onto the main deck, seemingly oblivious to the battle waging around them.

"Uncle Clovis!", Sharliss cried as she hugged the much older man. A bit of happiness lightened her face as she saw a friendly and familiar face amidst the carnage she had witnessed .

"My , my ! You've ...err grown really tall...and umm..full ! ", said Clovis unsure of how tightly to hug the unexpectedly beautiful and mature girl.

"Can we stop with the interruptions please. For Sarin's sake. ", said Earl with a frustrated tone.

"Yes sorry...I was about to say, believe it or not Sarin is also the last prince of the Ice elves. He is the direct heir to their last princess. To my knowledge the tribe is given elector votes in the Champion meeting, but they never employ them due mainly to their absence. Since this spring a significant portion of the displaced ice elves have made their way back north. Also I'm afraid due to my father's close association with them , the Order of the Crab would side with whomever hold's Sarin's fate in question. This entire attack is probably meant to drive a wedge between Grom and the knight orders. As you know the Eastern Coastal orders are more favorable to our diplomacy then the western ones. This attack will just strengthen the political position of those that dislike Grom and weaken the ones who we count as our allies. ", explained Sharliss as she smiled and waved once more to her Clovis. Earl suspected some of Sharliss's statements already but was once again pleasantly surprised at how quickly she saw through the motives of this battle. His friend Fetch had raised a formidable young woman. The Assassin also found himself a bit jealous, his initial meeting with Hush was clearly not as warm as Clovis's ...was his presence and manner that cold and frightening?

"Wait...there are elements of all the orders in the attacks. I've seen Boar, Lion, Crab, Squirrel...even narwhal banners. Why would they support this attack then? ", asked Ramirez who seemed finally focused on the task on hand.

"If this was a true attack by the combined forces of the knights, we would be over run by now Captain. They managed to raise 100,000 knights after years of confusion in the mists. I shudder to think how many they could muster after they had 3 years to consolidate and regroup. This attack is a diversion. After the victory of the Great Host, many warriors took to mercenary work in the south. I suspect that who ever is behind this, hired bands of them, and gave them instructions to put on their old tabards , or more likely gave them tabards to wear to confuse us. I doubt they thought their ruse would convince anyone for long, but the Champion meeting is soon and they just needed a politically divisive event to sway opinion and votes.", surmised the priestess.

"They burn down our city , as if we were pieces to some distant political game ! We're the ones that are suppose to be puppeteers in these shadow games , we aren't pawns or game pieces ! This is an outrage! These villains will be brought to justice! ", declared Ramirez in anger.

"In due time, first off we have to control the city again. ", agreed Earl while scanning the battleground below him. Lord Quick's estate was in flames. The next biggest target was the palace. As he waved Rameriz to that destination , the Assassin noticed a large gathering of troops gathered around one of the gates.

* * *

><p>Zax stood on the battlements. His cloak whipping back in the wind. His armor was transformed to the most impressive set of full plate he could command it to appear as . He planted the banner of the shaggy dog beside him and stared at the horde before him.<p>

Several hundred warriors and knights of the various orders were eagerly awaiting the orders to charge their defenses. He could see the battle hardened and vicious raiders before him. Grommers were bad enough when it came to treating tieflings, but the men before him had been exterminating his people for centuries without remorse. Zax could see the prisoners that his companion indicated they had captured. He couldn't see them clearly but from their cries he could tell most were women and children. As Zax surveyed the city he wondered how many orphans and shattered families resulted from the actions of these raiders. Zax didn't consider Grom City his home, but the people here were friendly and peaceful enough. How much misery had these raiders caused, and now they had the audacity to demand he open the gate for them.

Zax tried to draw courage from this outrage , but he only felt fear. Despite his heroic image the tiefling knew he wasn't going to stop anyone . The best he could hope for was to give them pause as they attacked, so the tower's crossbowmen and slingers could get an extra volley or two at them. The towers were constructed to keep foes out, not to keep men in. The bulk of the defensive stonework and traps faced outwards not inwards. Despite this ,they had already slain 50 or so , but the knights seemed not to care about the losses they had taken. Truly they were a frightening foe.

Zax knew he was quite high up. He once again considered his plan of jumping off the tower and fleeing to join his druidic brothers , but knew the fall at this distance would most likely kill him. He wondered if he could transform his armor in the last moment and join the knights in the confusion of battle. That would be his best chance to survive he thought. If he played his cards right, he could claim Nymph and Darwen as his slaves like he had done previously. It was a slim chance but it seemed better then being gored by a giant pig or stepped on by a mammoth.

Zax scanned his companions. He saw the brave nameless sergeant, he was ready to die in the defense of the tower and that suited the tiefling fine. He needed someone like him to put up a good fight while he put his escape plan into action. He caught a glimpse of the impassive Nymph. The poor maid was so shell shocked from the battle, she actually thought her bow would make a difference against the on rushing horde. He wasn't sure if she would follow his plan, but hoped she would. He cringed at the thought of the violations she would suffer if she fell into the hands of the raiders. He finally looked at Darwen, who was curiously looking back at him. Zax saw that she actually thought he could stop this advance and save those prisoners. The prisoners were the last thing on his mind, he only cared about his own survival at that point. He only marched up here so he could gauge his best escape route. He dearly hoped that she would follow him , but the look on her face told him that she would fight. He considered hitting her over the head in the heat of battle, but knew he could never harm her. Even if it meant saving her. He hated how she would stare at him sometimes. Of all the people he knew, Darwen was the one that knew first hand that he was a giant coward, but she was also the one that expected him to act like the hero he wasn't. Zax looked into her piercing blue eyes and wondered if it would be the last time he would stare into them and be lost in those deep pools.

"CAPTAIN INUTILE! THIS IS YOUR LAST WARNING! GIVE US YOUR ANSWER BEFORE WE ATTACK! ", declared the man on the boar breaking Zax's gaze.

"CAPTAIN INUTILE IS DEAD! NOW IF YOU KNAVES KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, YOU WILL RELEASE YOUR PRISONERS AND SURRENDER...ACTUALLY ON SECOND THOUGHT, DON'T RELEASE YOUR PRISONERS, AND COME ATTACK US IN FORCE. AS YOU CAN SEE, I'VE ALREADY KILLED 50 OF YOUR MEN, I THOUGHT IT NOT TOO MANY. ", shouted Zax, his cowardice replaced more with bravado then actual bravery.

The horde did not expect such an answer, especially not from a knight in full plate hoisting the banner of the feared Husky. They paused as the awaited their leader's reply.

Zax hoped if he fled now and Darwen didn't follow , she would at least take the image of him being heroic to her afterlife. Zax looked again at her and saw pride , and hope in her eyes. The tiefling felt ashamed at his previous thoughts, but wondered what option did he had. Suddenly a crazy thought came into his mind. Zax sensed the enemies hesitation and immediately took the initiative.

"HEY I'LL TELL YOU COWARDS WHAT. I'M A KNIGHT, YOU GUYS ARE KNIGHTS. OR AT LEAST SOME OF YOU ARE , OR CLAIM TO BE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KNIGHTLY HAND BOOK PERMITS A SURPRISE ATTACK ON YOUR ALLY AND CAPTURING INNOCENT WOMEN AND CHILDREN , BUT THATS A DEBATE FOR ANOTHER TIME. HOW ABOUT WE SETTLE THIS OLD SCHOOL STYLE. YOUR BEST MAN VERSUS LITTLE OL ME IN A FIGHT TO THE DEATH. NO HOLDING BACK, NO MERCY , TWO MEN ENTER ONE MEN LEAVE THAT TYPE OF THING. IF YOU WIN, YOU GUYS ARE FREE TO GO. IF YOU LOSE THEN YOU TURN OVER YOUR PRISONERS. I DON'T EXPECT ALL OF YOU GUYS TO SURRENDER, I'M NOT THAT FOOLISH, BUT YOU CAN DROP OFF YOUR PRISONERS AND FIND AN EXIT AT SOME OTHER GATE? ", challenged Zax as he sweated profusely from his crazy plan.

Again the knights hesitated .

"Are you crazy Zax? This won't be like Sir Albin, they won't hold back. ", hissed Nymph with disapproval.

Zax ignored her and yelled again, "HEY YOU GUYS SMELL THAT? BAWK BAWK BAWK BAWK...I THINK I SMELL AN ARMY OF CHICKENS NOT KNIGHTS. OK , WHO BELONGS TO THE ORDER OF THE CHICKEN HERE? IF YOU DO, PLEASE LEAVE NOW, SO THE REAL MEN CAN SETTLE THINGS.",shouted Zax once again, the glee of taunting partially replacing the very real possibility of a painful death from dueling. The tiefling had never actually seen a real chicken, but knew it was the universal symbol of cowardice.

"ENOUGH! I WILL TAKE YOU MYSELF YOU WHELP! ", shouted the boar lord.

Zax breathed deeply and then proceeded to march to the bottom of the tower. Darwen smiled and intoned a phrase instead. Zax felt lifted by some force and lowered to the base of the structure. The tiefling cursed , he didn't know she could do that, if he did the pair of them could have been running to the hills pursing an idyllic druidic existence .

As Zax considered begging her to use her elf magic on him so they could flee together, the boar lord dismounted from his mount and walked to the center of the courtyard .

"COME ! I , Sir Aslaug knight of the boar, and veteran of a dozen battle accept your challenge. A fight to the death , no mercy shall be given , no pleads will be heard.", growled the antlered helmed brute. He was not a tall man , about the same height as Zax. For a northern knight that was considered short , but Aslaug was very broad and muscular . He wore a rough scale main hauberk and wielded a terrible looking greataxe covered in blood. Several freshly decapitated heads hung from his belt as he awaited his opponent.

Zax took a deep breath and turned towards his foe. There would be no place to run, he would have to hope his plan would work. As he marched towards the barbarian , the tiefling began his rant. "I am Sir Zax, Slayer of Hags, destroyer of Trolls, I am the one known as Griffon bane and Ogre killer. I am Champion of the big fluffy dog..."

"HUSKY you idiot! ", cried Nymk behind him.

"Errrr...Champion of the Husky ...and am undefeated in duels. Come now...my blade awaits! ", the tiefling said with practiced swagger and showman like menace.

Aslaug stared at the skinny runt that approached him. He almost laughed out loud, but controlled the urge. His opponent would face him one on one , he owed him the courtesy not to ridicule him at least. This whole duel was a sham really, his men had no intentions of abandoning their assault if he lost for some reason. He just felt it would make things easier if he disposed of this mouthy Zax and avoid the messy attack. Also it would add credence to his false claim to being a knight. Aslaug was a warrior of the boar, but never achieved knight status, something about not fulfilling the duty and honor requirement. Aslaug lost interest to that title awhile ago, it was just a bunch of political pig crap, but he did find it useful to claim to be one . It was basically a free promotion in the mercenary company and guaranteed him the best pay, first pick of the food, and the choicest loot. To kill this rodent before him would just cement his reputation with his men.

"I'll tell you what boy. I'll let you have the first swing. ", smirked Aslaug to his opponent.

Zax paused , hesitation was clearly visible on the tieflings face."Errr..no...you swing first. Swing really hard, go for my head or something. ", the tiefling blurted in response.

"Look. I'm doing you a favor here runt. You get the first swing. I'm like triple your size, my weapon is almost as big as you are ! If I kill you and make it look too easy , my men won't respect that. ", demanded Aslaug.

Zax paused , he had not expected this reaction from the Boar lord. A mischievous smiled crossed his face and he unleashed a torrent of insults on his opponent, " Can I suggest something ? If you want respect maybe get rid of the hat? You're a knight of the boar right? Not a Bambi knight. How about wearing some platform shoes, must be hard to shout instructions when you aren't on that boar of yours. What's up with the giant boar anyways? Is it to compensate for something else besides your height that is short? Look, if your men won't respect you , maybe you should swallow instead of spitting. ", taunted the tiefling.

Aslaug grew red with anger, he raised his axe and summoned his might to strike the tiefling down in one blow. He roared a blood curdling scream that could be heard from miles around as he brought his weapon towards his small opponent.

Despite Zax's awkward appearance, the tiefling was incredibly quick. He abandoned his rapier then grasped a long sword at his side in one fluid motion. He then flashed the flaming sword and met the axe in mid blow. The blade met the axe's haft and incinerated it. The weapon broke in two and the axe head deviated slightly from its path as it struck Zax deeply in the arm. The tiefling almost fainted from the blow but his weapon continued its attack. The sword twisted impossibly quick and struck Aslaug in the shoulder. Any other weapon would have been turned by the man's thick scale hauberk, but the blade continued down its fiery path, rending, burning, and searing , metal, leather, skin, muscle and bone till it reached its target. The boar Lord's heart, burst into flames as his life force was drawn into the blade. Aslaug gave a final look of surprise rather then terror as he fell withered on his back.

Zax gasped in pain at his useless arm. It had cut deeply almost to the bone , and he felt his life drain from him. The wound wasn't fatal though, he was in shock that he wasn't rolling around in pain from the wound, but he knew he still had to get it binded and treated. He was just glad the wayward axehead did not drift an inch closer to his artery or he would suffer the same fate as his opponent. The tiefling breathed a sigh of relief as his gambit worked. He had worked out possible scenarios that Dragon's Flame , the blade he carried, would actually work. Single combat against a foe that was out for his head was definitely one. He hoped that he never would have to be placed in such a position to test his theory, but thought this was as good an opportunity as any. The tiefling half expected the horde of knights to retreat and for a second it appeared they would. The few hundred warriors gathered were unsure what to do next, when suddenly a dozen mounted boar warriors, Aslaug's personal guard Zax guessed, roared a challenge and charged at their leader's slayer.

Zax knew the blade had its limits, and was pretty sure a dozen angry pigs ridden by crazed berzerkers was definitely beyond it. As Zax prepared to turn and run hysterically back to the tower, a black shafted arrow struck the lead war boar squarely in the eye . The beast squealed in pain as it crashed and flipped in its death throes. Several other war boars were caught up in the tangle, but managed to avoid the painful crash of the lead boar. As the knights on them reorganized they were caught in a fiery burst, most likely from his beautiful companion Darwen. Seared flesh , screaming knights, and squealing pigs greeted Zax, as he scrambled away from the explosion . Zax knew anything could slay him at that moment, a stray boar, arrows, even a spear of javelin. The tiefling spun to face the horde . Dragon's flame was once again back in its scabbard, but Zax drew out his dragon golem. He swaggered forward and aimed the weapon at the closet knight.

*BANG*

Zax , of course missed again. He wondered if he was doing it wrong or something. He couldn't recall ever hitting anything with the weapon, except maybe the hag on that fateful evening so long ago. He often wondered if he actually hit the hag, or was it just spooked backwards by the weapon's loud noise. Regardless of the actual results of the weapon, the attackers stopped from the loud shot. Zax saw a few ready bows to strike him down, but suddenly a horn blew. The knights seemed reluctant but they suddenly turned and they fell back .

Zax saw that in their haste they abandoned a fair bit of their prisoners, but regretfully not all. As he staggered to his feet, he felt soft hands grip him to ease him down. Darwen smiled as she supported the tiefling and laid his head down on her lap. She produced a small vial of some earthen smelling concoction and poured it down his throat. Zax felt some vigor stir in him, but was happy enough in his current position to avoid moving.

"Once again you do the impossible, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me by now. ", said the elf as he stroked Zax's head gently.

"Oh yeah...I can get use to this hero business.", thought Zax as he snuggled closer to the elf.

As Zax laid on the elf's soft legs. Shouts , cheers and yells sounded at the towers. Zax looked up and saw a monstrous flying ship descend from the sky . It landed surprisingly gently into the courtyard , and a well dressed , paunchy middle aged colonel appeared.

"That was one of the bravest things I've ever seen my boy! and trust me I've seen a lot of crazy and brave things !", declared Colonel Clovis as a landing ramp was lowered.

Zax had seen skyships before but never one up close. The elf and the tiefling were both speechless at the sight before him. It was the Indomitable , one of the most famous ships in the Royal Grommish Skyfleet.

"Who are you son? What's your name? Speak up.", demanded the Colonel.

"That's Zax! ", beamed Sharliss as she joined the colonel's side.


	28. Chapter 28

"So...why are you dressed up like a butler? Are you moonlighting or something? Are the Enginseers not paying you enough? If its a money problem, I can put you on my personal payroll. This Colonel stuff is just a side thing you know. You of all people know that I control a successful buisness empire. This whole military thing is kind of like a mid life crisis thing for me. ", babbled Clovis to his scribe.

Earl rolled his eyes much to the amusement of Captain Ramirez. The captain knew that this Clovis person was obviously more important then just a rich merchant, else he would be eating a dagger from Earl to the throat right now. He looked at the unimposing man and wondered who he actually was. The Captain conceded 'that as an artificer , this Clovis person was a miracle worker. When the battle began , he made a few adjustments to the dragon golems and the ship. In a mere minutes, they were firing at a greater rate, and the Indomitable handled like it never had before. Ramirez always thought of Enginseers were just minor priest mages that were mainly used for maintainance of the Grom War machines , but after the improvements made, the Captain certainly had a new respect for their branch of the army.

"We should head north. If they took Sarin, they will head in that direction to return him back to where these raiders are from. ", contemplated Nymk after she heard the tale of Lord Quick's mansions destruction from Sharliss. The barbarian maid appeared frustrated as she fired an arrow below. It was an impossible shot even for an exceptional archer , well beyond the range of the bow, on a moving target , firing at another moving target. Zax glanced to see if she actually hit or anything, but did not see any indications that her arrow struck anything. The maid of course watched then smiled, at an unknown target below .

"We are headed to the palace. The fighting is still fierce there. ", ordered Earl , as he put on his scribe's overcoat. Ramirez knew not to argue in this situation and ordered the ship to adjust its course. The Captain knew who was calling the shots, even if the rest of the people on board didn't.

"If their entire plot was to capture Sarin, then we should stop them and foil whatever plot they are hatching. ", repeated the maid with a cold edge to her voice.

"Regardless of what their grand scheme is, we have to regain control of the Capital first. That means retake the palace. All we have now is conjecture about their motives, I would like to confirm what we know before we commit to a course of action. Is that OK with you?", barked Earl derisively in return.

There was a strange tension on the ship's deck , as Nymk confronted Earl. The swords woman could see the non descript man's hand ready. Most likely to quickly draw a weapon. It was too enclosed to properly use a bow, but her scimitar and dagger were at the ready if the man made a move.

"Ok..Ok...everyone calm down here. The last thing I want to see is Sharliss's maid get in a fight with Clovis's butler scribe there. Like c'mon, if I want to see a fight I can look below us and watch some knights beat down some guardsmen. Like what are you two gonna do? Dust him to death? Hit her with a broom? I know you guys have weapons, but lets not embarrass ourselves and pretend you guys know how to use them. We're on a ship, we should let the Captain decide what to do. The more you servants chit chat useless babble, the less we'll get done. ", said Zax arrogantly at the two.

"Well said! ", agreed Clovis." I do not want my tales from the Army be marred by a stupid story about maids and scribes brawling. It's not very heroic, and frankly ...rather boring. It's like amateur night at the Great Coliseum. I shudder at the time I wasted watching those battles. The last amateur fight I saw was kobolds verus goblins. My god, that was three hours of my life I'll never get back.", the colonel declared.

Zax looked at the Colonel, " I was there for that, the only highlight of that pathetic series of fights was the fountain with the piranha in it. It was still lame, but at least it was funny. ", laughed the tiefling.

Clovis stared into the air, then a smile crept on his face. "I remember that. I laughed when that kobold jumped into the fountain, and was eaten . Then those two goblins pursuing him jumped into the fountain as well, to check if their prey found a secret door or something. "

The pair shared a laugh . The Captain continued his course towards the palace, while the maid and scribe eyed each other coldly.

* * *

><p>A squid shaped skyship shook and lurched to its side as a powerful dragon golem volley struck it from below. As the vessel billowed smoke, two more ships flew next to it as the damaged ship retreated from the fray. The two supporting ships released clouds of shadows and rained crossbow and sling fire to cover its damaged sister's escape.<p>

Stormfeather watched the battle, and was surprised at the quality of the defenses left to them. He was pleased that some of the mercenaries brought their own siege weapons and were using them effectively in the defense of their prize. Dragon golems were rare and seldom used in the north, but the rift raft he had hired seemed to have adapted and learned how to use them from their former Grommish pay masters.

Stormfeather saw another formations of ships were incoming, but was confident that he would be able to weather this new attack. The longer he held the palace, the more his troops would dig in, and the more troops Grom would have to commit to expel them. Assaulting a fortress was a very demoralizing and loyalty testing affair. Would the Grommers have the stomach for it? The griffon prince even imagined some of his enemies would throw down their arms, or possibly mutiny at such a prospect. If enough soldiers defect then that might form another faction amongst his foes . This of course created many interesting possibilities but the Griffon lord was loathe to admit he would not be there to witness it.

He gave the order for his riders to be ready as he waited for more ships to arrive.

* * *

><p>"We demand to be let back into the caravan! ", demanded the lieutenant in the dark shadows of the canyon.<p>

"Ahh no you don't! ", shouted Kirgi. " You guys failed to follow Halvor's instructions during a crisis and you actually left the rest of us to rot. There's no penalty for departing from us at an earlier date, but you guys left, so you're on your own now sucka !" , sniffed the dwarf .

"This is unacceptable, you can't leave us to fend for ourselves in the pass. It's dark , we don't know the terrain, ...there might be more griffons. ", protested the lieutenant in despair.

Halvor stepped in with a copy of their contract , "Listen you guys left us in a critical situation and placed everyone else, including the other merchants in danger. That is a clear violation of our contract and to maintain discipline I have to honor it and consider you on your own. ", the knight said in a gruff voice. He let the thought stew in the lieutenant's head for a bit before proposing his solution.

"Since you left, there's nothing that says you can't purchase our services again. We'll even include the standard 10% discount for returning customers.", smiled Halvor.

The lieutenant nodded vigorously thankful there was a solution to his plight.

"HOWEVER, since we are accepting you in a dangerous zone , I'm afraid our rates are going to double for hazardous conditions. The fact that I suspect those Griffons were after your cargo puts the rest of the merchants in danger as well. So I'm afraid I'll have to triple the rate, minus the discount of course. ", the knight said with the tone of a man that was holding all the high cards in a game of Mystara Poker.

The lieutenant grew red , but submitted. "Agreed...".

"Excellent I'll send you an invoice in the morning . I won't even mention to your superiors how this all could have been avoided if you stayed in position. Although I'm sure they would understand. ", said the knight with sublime threat in his voice.

The lieutenant nodded and signaled his wagons to rejoin the caravan.

Petrus and Adria had repaired most of the caravan with their magic. Besides losing a cart, a few guards, and of course Big Zax, they had survived that attack relatively unscathed. Petrus had only caught the end of Halvor's conversation and nodded with approval.

"Well done, well done. We might equal our last run's profits , even without encountering any more trolls .", the summoner said in admiration. His companion's buisness acumen was worthy of being called Grommish.

Halvor shrugged. Strong arming the cowardly lieutenant was just a means to an end to maintain discipline. Although the money was nice, he just wanted to finish this run and return back to Grom City. He looked at the handkerchief tied to his axe, and vowed to return it. He didn't even care if the trip would be in vain or if Sharliss would eventually rejected him, he just wanted to see her again. He was a fool to have left over such a minor point. She was a good person, had a good heart and Halvor missed her dearly . She deserved better then the way he treated her.

"Everything is set. Are you sure you want to continue? Its pretty dark out there.", asked Kirgi.

"I know its dangerous to travel at night, but its dangerous to stay here too, especially if more Griffon come. A few escaped you know. It's unlikely they would return for vengeance, but I don't want to take any chances. I'm just hoping we cleared enough of the pass last time to make it to Fort Grom safely.", Halvor sighed in reply.

The knight ordered the caravan to continue into the night. It was a risky move, but his companions fully backed his plan. As the wagons rumbled forward, Halvor looked to the mountain obscured south. He wondered what Sharliss was doing at that moment.

* * *

><p>Despite the Captain's warnings, Sharliss leaned on the railing of the ship. She scanned the sky for signs of the griffon that was carrying Sarin and possibly Isula but saw none. Her pale skin drained of even more color as she accepted the very real possibility that her body guard, and more importantly friend might be slain.<p>

Of all the people that she had met since she was adopted a few years ago, she considered Sarin her closest friend . Even after their first meeting, when he tried to kill her for being a demon, Sharliss had taken an instant liking to him. She recalled fondly of the adventurers they shared and the meals he'd stolen from her. She loved her parents, and the long list of those she considered aunts and uncles, brother and sisters...but Sarin's child like goofiness made him someone she could actually bond with as a playmate. To lose him, would be unbearable. She would be alone in the world . Zax, Nymk and Darwen were friends, but they could not replace the big comical half elf.

The Indomitable reached the palace and saw knights were well entrenched in the inner fortifications. It exchanged signals and flags to a retreating smoking ship, and Ramirez shook his head.

"They're really dug in. It's too dangerous to assault them directly. We have to wait for the army to arrive I guess.", the captain said grimly to his "guests".

"ETA? ", asked the scribe.

"Three days, four at most , enough to keep them pinned. It might take more till actual siege engines and support companies arrive. Things are pretty lax here and inefficiency is their middle name. They don't run things like the Third Army down here I'm afraid. ", frowned Ramirez.

"They could be torturing him, or brainwashing him or something! ", stammered Sharliss, interrupting a conversation she had no part in. The fate of her bodyguard conjured up all manner of unfavorable scenarios in her head.

"I'll find him for you. ", spoke Nymk and Earl simultaneously. The pair eyed each other suspiciously and once again the scribe's hand hovered around his knives, while the maid's fingers danced at the hilt of her scimitar.

"Let me get this straight. We can't bombard them since the walls are too thick and are reinforced with magic. ", asked Clovis staring at the palace, which was surrounded by burning gardens and pavilions.

Zax looked at them, and was disappointed at how the once opulent royal court was now reduced to a burning battlefield. He thought it was a shame he was not able to indulge in its comforts more.

"That is correct. They only have a few dragon golems but they can withstand our fire and bombs while our attacks fall harmlessly against them. We could attempt a direct assault, but the quality of our ground troops are questionable. We only have a few army units left in the city, but they don't have the man power or the golems to attack the palace directly. Even with iron and stone golems their mammoths and boars are more then a match for them. Add to the mix their griffons, and it looks like we should prepare for a long siege .", sighed the captain.

"What about a siege golem?", posed Clovis.

Rameriz knew that the Enginseers were able to revive the siege golems when they broke the siege of McDunnalds, but the captain thought it was a long complicated method. The four titanic constructs that surrounded the palace would be dangerous to approach. To land and defend a full team of enginseers to activate them would be dangerous to both the specialists and to his vessel, for the off chance they could revive a golem.

"I suppose a siege golem would suffice, but its too dangerous to revive them currently. If we had a foot hold on the palace, we could place teams of manlets to cover them as they reanimate the monstrosities.", said the captain humoring the colonel.

Earl leaned closer as he understood the gist of the conversation. It might reveal Olive's plot but defense of the capital against invaders was definitely a scenario that warranted them to play their "Ace" so to speak. It also had the added bonus of him being reassigned to another less humiliating task.

"I can do this. No need for teams of charlatans and kooks, or batteries of mantlets , I got it. ", smiled the Colonel confidently . As on cue, the earth rumbled as a great strain was placed on it. Everyone but Clovis and Earl cringed as four monstrous golems broke free from their stone pedestals. They turned to face the Indomitable awaiting orders. Clovis simply pointed at the palace, and the four constructs slowly began their attack.

* * *

><p>"IRON GIANTS! ", shouted Rolf at Stormfeather as the golems circled the palace.<p>

Stormfeather smirked at the man, "Thanks for stating the obvious...and for your information only two are iron, the other two are stone. ", corrected the Griffon prince as he watched the golems march forward. He heard rumors of such constructs and wondered why their enemy didn't employ them immediately. Was there a start up time? Or maybe they were not reliable. He wished his men kept that Karak guy alive so he could question him, but they were a bit over zealous at defeating him . The man certainly didn't look impressive , he looked more like a withered corpse then a warrior to Stormfeather, but at least he could provide valuable information.

Stormfeather watched in awe for a few seconds then regretfully summoned his messenger again. He wanted more skyships to gather to make their escape easier, but he knew his window of escape rapidly grew smaller with each step the golems took. "Give the order to retreat for the Griffon riders. Two wings. ", he commanded as the messenger quickly departed.

Stormfeather sighed, and was glad he kept to his original course of action. He choose several bags of loot and threw it over his shoulder as he marched towards his awaiting mount Grimtalon.

"Ok men , that's our cue. Two thirds of us will go with me, we'll head east to the ocean and then north. My sister and the rest will go directly north. Hey Sir Rolf you aren't going anywhere. You're staying remember. Deathwatch. You get to go down swinging as we get away. Don't worry I'll get a bard to write a poem about you. ", ordered the Griffon Prince. The poem was a lie of course, Stormfeather had already decided to use Rolf as the scape goat if he deviated from his plan too much for his father's liking.

Rolf considered the command and nodded, "I shall give them a fight to remember. ", stammered the knight, grimly accepting his fate.

* * *

><p>As the golems advanced the skyships formed behind the northern construct and laid down withering fire to the overwhelmed defenders. Squads of marines rappelled down ropes to engage the broken knights, who quickly surrendered or were slain by the descending elite assault troops.<p>

Zax hoped they wouldn't ask him to slide down one of the ropes. It seemed like an awfully long drop to him. Also the prospect of jumping down to a nest of angry knights did not appeal to him.

The southern and western golems stalled in their advance. A testament to the ferocity of the knights they faced. The eastern and northern golems broke through the palace and defenses, but were met with an unexpected surprise.

"Smoke! ", cried Ramirez as the Indomitable was engulfed in black clouds. They were high enough to avoid choking, but the smoke was sufficient to block their vision. The captain gave orders to rise upwards, and the ship swiftly advanced higher for a clearer view.

When they broke through the clouds, they were greeted by the sight of hundreds of Griffons escaping into the air. Dozens fell from the attacks of the other skyships that advanced upwards but the majority of them seemed to be heading east or north to safety. Ramirez knew that Kasmir was awaiting them up north , but his net wouldn't be complete.

*KABOOM*

The captain was about to order his vessel to pursue and harass the griffons when his ship shook violently. All the attackers had not left apparently. His marines were down in the palace and they would need his support , he would have to cover them till the palace was back in their hands.

* * *

><p>Lionsong insisted on transporting her prize personally. The fact that even the strongest griffon had trouble carrying the still sleeping but bound half elf made it a problem. She finally relented and traded her swift mount for a mighty War Eagle. The huge bird was a tad slower then the griffons, but they could easily support even the abominations massive weight. The Griffon huntress knew returning would not be easy, and ordered a hand picked squad to cover her retreat.<p>

Lionsong looked at her oddly nice smelling prize and smiled. She did not seek out praise from her father like her attention starved brother , but she did enjoy a successful hunt. She wasn't sure why her father wanted this abominations capture , but she knew it had cost her many hunters .

Lionsong looked once more at her sleeping prize as her eagle took off. Perhaps her father wanted to eat this beast, it could probably feed a dozen griffons alone with his flesh, she thought with a grin.

* * *

><p>Nymk knew her opportunity to spot Sarin was quickly dwindling. She didn't panic though, that would just make her job harder. She looked at the scattering griffons and knew to look for a slower moving animal. She had ridden griffons before and was aware of their weight limits.<p>

As she watched she noticed two massive War Eagles or Rocs take to the air. One headed east and the other north. The swords woman knew that the war eagles were slower but had more endurance then the griffons. They also wouldn't be impeded by Sarin's weight. Nymk watched the pair separate and knew she had to make a decision fast.

With her mind made up, the maid hopped onto the railings of the vessel much to everyone around her's surprise.

"Careful! Its a long way down.", yelled Zax as he wondered if the stress of combat was too much for the maid.

Nymk ignored the tiefling and instead turned to Darwen. "Could I get a push towards one of those griffons please?", she asked the elf.

Darwen nodded slowly and knew what Nymk was about to do. Sharliss saw what the maid was going to attempt and threw her a short rod which she easily caught. The elf then scanned for a relatively close Griffon and then intoned an incantation.

"Fus Ro DAH!", she cried and telekenitically propelled the maid towards the griffon and its rider. Everyone on board was shocked , and even more stunned as the maid jetted towards the unsuspecting rider. She did a flip and a twirl right before she impacted with the knight. It slowed her velocity and she managed to slip onto the mount. Zax couldn't see what was happening as they passed through a cloud of smoke, but suddenly the griffon appeared again with Nymph firmly in control of the beast and no sign of the other rider . The swords woman gave a final wave to the ship before streaking northwards.

Jaws dropped at the incredible and dare devil display the maid executed. Even the normally impassive Earl rasied his eyebrow and nodded at her with respect. Sharliss simply closed her eyes and prayed for the maid's success.

"Oh my god. It all makes sense now. ", as Zax seemed finally enlightened by Nymk's true nature.

"Nymph...she's a griffon knight plant. That's how they knew where to attack me in Lower Lueders and why she wanted to take my spot when I was fighting Albin. She's been following me the whole time, to learn all the sensitive data I possess. Now when her fellows are retreating up north , she's taken the opportunity to flee with them. How could I be so blind! It was so obvious! Why didn't I... OWWW! ", cried Zax as he was slapped hard on the back of the head by Darwen.

"Oww..sorry about that. I get a little excited sometimes. ", apologized the tiefling as he rubbed his stinging head.

"However...I am beginning to suspect that Nymph is more then just a maid. ", continued Zax sagely.

* * *

><p>The battle was vicious , and Sir Rolf gave a good account of himself and his troops. They even managed to topple one of the stone siege golems to everyone's surprise. Despite their brief victory they were all quickly subdued or killed by the vengeful Grommish troops. Earl sought out his old mentor Sir Karak, but was surprised that he was slain by the invaders. In an odd way the assassin liked and even respected the decrepit old man, even though their agendas were at odds with each other. As Earl searched the palace, an old friend appeared that the man thought long dead.<p>

"Reinhardt ! I thought you were dead !", exclaimed Earl as he greeted a very thin and tired looking pale blue skinned man. Even though his appearance was magically altered, Earl could tell that his old acquaintance had suffered terribly since he last saw him.

"I certainly feel dead from the torments I've endured. From the calenders, I take it I've been gone for three years? That's a long time even for someone like myself. That Karak is more powerful then he appears. ", gasped the pale skinned man.

"Well he's dead now.", shrugged Earl.

Reinhardt seemed surprised at the news. He pointed at the assassin who shook his head. "Well I guess that makes Olive's plan easier. Her goal is still the same is it not?", he said with a sigh.

"Same goal, different course of attack. ", smiled Earl as he lead his friend to the rest of the liberators.

"Reinhardt! ", said Clovis with a grin and a bow. " Everyone show some respect. We have a royal adventurer here. These guys run Grom you know and should not be trifled with. ", said the artificer sincerely while waving the rest of his odd group to follow suit. Earl looked at Clovis in mock surprise.

"I remember you. You were one of Fetch's companions. ", said Reinhardt as he was offered a cloak by the captain.

"Hah! I told you guys. Old Clovis was a big time player in the adventuring biz back in the day. ", stated the Enginseer proudly.

As Clovis began basking in the glow of comments about his association with the Warmaster, a very charred and disheveled elf lord jumped into the room to everyone's surprise!

"There you are you ungrateful butler! It was bad enough that they attacked then burned down my estate, but to be insulted by my staff is unforgivable! I shall make you wish you were never born. ", threatened the injured Lord Quick with his trademark whispery raspy voice , partially to massage his own wounded pride, and partially to impress the Lady Sharliss who was in attendance at this gathering.

"Who's that? ", asked Clovis.

Lord Quick looked at the Enginseer and instantly recognized who he was. He was Lord Clovis, one of the richest men in Northern Grom. The elf lord knew that if he failed at wooing Sharliss then he should keep his options open and impress the rich merchant instead. " Allow me to introduce myself, despite my appearance I am Ricardo Belcadiz . Royal adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion, Prince in exile, Scorpion of Grom, Grandson of Carnelia de Fedoriad also known widely as Lord Quick ", the elf said with a flourish with his blade . Despite his battered appearance, his sword still shone a deadly silver .

Earl considered dispatching the fool but knew that of the three royal adventurer's in the room right now, Lord Quick was the most well known and feared amongst the citizens of Grom City. They would need him to regain control of the populace now that Karak was dead. A dead figure head would be useless to their cause.

"There's no need for violence. If the ...err butler insulted you , it was most likely due to the stress of the attack by the Griffon knights. We're not all leveled headed warriors like yourself that can stare danger and death in the eye. ", spoke Sharliss who wanted to avoid any more violence.

Lord Quick's ego was boosted by the priestess's praise and his anger subsided. He then busied himself by ordering men to find him a different set of clothes to wear.

"Well spoken my lady.", replied Reinhard to the tiefling. The pale skinned man knew exactly what she was despite her disguised appearance and he gave her a knowing nod.

Sharliss flustered at his attention. "Hi, I'm Sharliss...and I'm a big fan . I read all your books, even the poetry. ", she stammered truly in awe of the man.

"Wait..my books ..my poetry?", Reinhardt replied slightly confused.

"Oh...let me explain. You let my father stay in your manor in Lower Lueders. So I obviously had access to your writings. Your views on life and our relationship to the great wheel is very enlightening, especially your views on Infernals and the bloodwar , but ...your poems and sonnets about your companion Amirah were my favorite. ", the priestess said blushing.

Reinhardt nodded a bit surprised, slightly humbled, and a bit embarrassed, "Ah...you must be Fetch's daughter. You are a lot older then I expected. I did not think anyone would read those ...poems ...since they were written in infernal, but it should not surprise me that the daughter of the Warmaster would master that language. As for my companion , she was taken from me, but I hope she had freed herself like I had when Karak perished. I miss her skill and expertise at my side during my long imprisonment. ", he said regretfully.

"I'm sure she's alright. ", empathized Sharliss in a way only she could.

* * *

><p>Baalphzon gleefully tore open another "knight's" throat. The enemy was surrendering now and the imp still had not located Sharliss. He considered using his magic , but knew it wasn't reliable , especially in Grom City. The walls of the city were highly disruptive to magic, not to mention the massive magic scrambling abilities of the palace. Throw in the dozen or so airships that patrolled the sky, and the imp thought it more prudent to find her "niece" in a more traditional way.<p>

The imp pondered where she would be hiding at that moment. He had checked the Great Academy and found no traces of her. He wondered if she would be aboard one of the airships. They were heavily defended, but Baalphzon cared not for simple mortal weapons. He was a member of the Dark Eight and knew people should fear him, not the other way around. He scanned the sky and wondered which ship she would be located in . As he looked he saw a massive vessel sailing through the air. It's structure reminded him more of a small ogre city like the ogre city of Oggok then a vessel. It was easily twice as large as any of the other vessel and the imp thought it was a good place to start looking.

As he flew towards the vessel , his presence was instantly detected. The imp was mildly surprised that their magics had penetrated his guise but easily dodged or deflected the incoming fire with his speed and maneuverability. Thankfully he remained in imp form , and only attracted sling and crossbow fire. If he was in full pitfiend form, he was sure he would be hit with everything they had.

As the imp flew to the deck , he saw someone he recognized. The imp flew and attempted to land on her shoulder, but before he landed she was gone. In her place was two blades which hovered inches from his neck and gut.

"Hello Olive. It's been a while.", smiled the imp.


	29. Chapter 29

Nymk spotted her target and spurred her newly hijacked griffon quickly towards it. The beast squawked in protest, but she twisted its feathers harshly to exert her dominance. Although she grew up amongst the Horselords of the Diamond Khan, the barbarian maiden was well versed in the handling of the lion eagle hybrids. She personally hated the horse eating monsters, but understood full well that they were the most reliable source of aerial transport in the north. That was something a person in her position needed to be proficient at.

The swordswoman had considered following the larger pride of Griffons to the east, but her instincts screamed at her to pursue north. Although the northern pass was defended by skyships, it was a vast area. The Broken mountain, or as the northerner's refer to as the Shattered Mountain or Shattered lands , was a vast range of ancient peaks that stretched from the Eastern Coasts all the way to Western Free Holds. It was riddled with ancient caves and ruins. Nymk had heard some of the mountains covered the last remnants of the Cruel Mow Dynasty, an ancient family of tyrannical pharaohs whose empire once stretched from the Sind desert to the reaches of what is now known as Northern Grom . An empire that predated the empire of the Sun before history was properly recorded. There were recent rumors that crumbling pyramids were hidden beneath some of the ancient mountains, which explained the difficulties of magicians and clerics to communicate and travel through the mountains. There were many opportunities for her prey to evade the sky ships but it was still a dangerous path. Who ever she was pursuing must have been extremely skilled , extremely confident, or most likely both.

The War eagle and the group of griffons that escorted it flew slightly west, a path that brought it tangent to a fish shaped skyship. The vessel predictably turned towards the group, while the group banked directly towards it. Nymk smiled at the daring of the small pack. A griffon exploded in fire as they flew directly at the Grommish ship, the swordswoman knew that they would suffer much more casualties if they deviated from their path even slightly. Their current path would bring them at the mercy of the fish shaped ship's fore guns but they would avoid a much more dangerous broadside. Another griffon fell from a volley of crossbow bolts but the War Eagle and its remaining escorts sailed past relatively unscathed. The fish ship could have turned and pursued but it turned slightly to intercept another wave of griffons who were less adept and daring then the first group.

Nymk knew there was no way the fish ship could know she was working towards the same end as the ship, so she began slicing the extra saddle bags off the griffon to increase her speed. She saw that they were full of plundered gold and jewels but did not hesitate to release them. Her foe had caught Sarin and she valued his life more then monetary treasures . She rationalized to herself that she had abandoned her orders to protect Zax because it served the Emerald Champion's best interests if his enemies did not have an important political pawn at their disposal. Nymk grinned as she realized she half believed it herself.

As the fish ship engaged another flight of griffons, it was serendipitously struck by a barrage of alchemist fire. The vessel was mostly fire proof , but the crew wasn't. The survivors of the attack retreated to the lower decks and resumed their methodical deadly fire at the griffons. Several Griffon Riders seized the opportunity and attempted a boarding action on the vessel, but close range turreted crossbows swiftly repelled the boarders with deadly efficiency.

Nymk spurred her mount once again and it shot swiftly past the smoked clogged ship. With sufficient distance between her and the Grommish vessel, she drew her bow and took careful aim at the griffon escorts she was trailing. The swords woman took pride that few marksmen could match her accuracy. Even the missing and presumably slain leader of the Knights of Winter, Sealhbach of the Mammoth, could only match but not exceed her skill. She quickly accounted for the wind, distance, velocity and direction of her mount and the speed and direction of her target. She released the arrow and it sailed seemingly at a random target in the night sky, but a few seconds later struck the rear escort squarely in the back. The rider seemed to spasm briefly from the hit, but another arrow struck him near the area of the first, and he slumped lifelessly into the saddle of his griffon.

The three remaining escorts saw this , and broke off to deal with Nymk. The swords woman knew her archery was still better then theirs, but she would probably only get one shot in before they were engaged in melee with her. Close quarters aerial combat was not her specialty and she knew she would be at a disadvantage. She twisted the griffons feathers once again and aimed herself directly at an intercepting knight. The man seemed ready for her and his lance and shield ready for their engagement. As they drew closer, Nymk shot but the arrow did not strike the knight. Instead it hit his griffon directly in its eye. The beast shrieked in maddened pain before it and its rider slammed into the mountain below.

Before Nymk could get another shot. A lance came down directly at her. She twisted from her saddle, and the weapon bit into her mount instead. The wounded monster bellowed and twisted in midair to rake savagely at its tormentor. The swords woman wasn't secured to her saddle and barely hung on as the knight aided his griffon to strike hers down. The four combatants seemed to be wildly exchanging blows with each other as they were locked in a death grip. A sharp talon struck the barbarian in the arm in a wild frenzy but despite the deep and jagged wound she did not release her grip. The knight stabbed once again at the woman, but she vaulted upwards at the last moment, landing briefly on a thrashing wing before flipping once more behind the lance armed knight. A slash with her scimitar and a stab with her dagger quickly dispatched her foe, as he fell along with her former mount from the sky.

The third griffon rider was nowhere to be seen, but his location was quickly deduced when an arrow struck the swords woman's leg. Nymk saw it was a barbed arrow and knew it was going to require magic or a lot of pain to extract it later. She saw another arrow arcing towards her , but she swiftly changed direction to avoid the shot. She knew it would be impossible to return fire as both of them were now flying erratically in the sky. She simply cut the treasure laden saddle bags once again and continued her pursuit of the War Eagle. She knew she could swiftly outrun her opponent and she hoped that he was more attached to his loot then she was.

Once again Nymk was in pursuit, specifically after the now escortless War eagle. She could sense her prey was aware of her presence as it changed direction and flew low towards the mountains. She gave pursuit even as the giant eagle dove into a low bank of clouds.

Nymk dove right in after it, but a second later was met with a pair of massive talons. Nymk barely had time to comprehend that her target and somehow changed direction in the clouds and flew directly at her, before smashing directly into it.

* * *

><p>"Who are you again?", asked General Olive with an authoritative tone to her voice while her blades were still at Baalphzon's throat.<p>

Baalphzon looked at the blades and saw they were both silver with holy symbols inscribed on them. The blades would hurt a lot , they might even kill him he thought.

"I'm Baalphzon! You remember me right?", replied the Pitfiend incredulously.

"Nope...be more specific. ", replied the diminutive general in a cool controlled tone.

"General of the Dark Eight... Pitfiend Duke... Lord Marshall of Baator?", answered the imp.

"That's the Warmaster's imp. The mouthy one.", replied a fiendish looking pixie behind Olive.

The small general looked over her prisoner and a look of recognition crossed her face. "Ahh, the delusional imp. I remember now. ", she said while sheathing her weapons.

Baalphzon breathed a sigh of relief as her blades were withdrawn. Most people still thought he was the Warmaster's familiar still and he did nothing to dissuade them of that opinion. He could have tried to teleport away , but by observing her previously displayed speed he had doubts if he was able to intone the spell in time before her holy silver blades struck his throat. He nodded in admiration at her prowess.

"Is Fetch here? I thought he was in Narwhal Hold or something like that , dealing with the giant problem.", asked the general with a more whimsical tone.

"Too my knowledge he is. I'm just here to check on his daughter Hush. She came here to study at the academy . I checked there first and found no sign of her. The city is rather chaotic right now, and I think the least I could do would be to make sure she's safe.", answered the imp .

The general recalled Hush fondly. She only met her once at a wedding, and remembered she was a precocious young girl who was full of life. Olive nodded in agreement. Mainly out of concern for the young girl's safety , but partially because she needed the Warmaster to be firmly in her faction. The general's future plans hinged on support from the various Knight Kingdoms, and the Warmaster gave her instant credibility on that front.

"I did not know that Hush was in the city, but it makes sense the Warmaster would send her away to the Academy while he was off up north. Your loyalty to your master does you credit. ", commented the general.

Baalphzon thought to correct her about his relationship with Fetch, but decided against it. Her fiendish pixie butler approached him with a plate of crackers with some type of meat spread on it. The imp took an appetizer while he sneered at the servant. Baalphzon wasn't sure why, but there was something about Olive's retainer that didn't sit right with him.

"Well she's not with me. The best I can do is inquire at the palace. The guards here seemed more competent then my reports gave them credit for. I see that they've managed to hold the north gate , and the city seems firmly back in our hands again. ", continued Olive.

Baalphzon nodded at the course of action, and surveyed the sacked city below him. The raid only lasted through the night, but large areas of the city were destroyed or burning. The pitfiend had lived here for almost a year now , and felt slightly attached to it. He wasn't sure if he was feeling repulsed at the destruction or appreciation for the level of destruction he saw.

* * *

><p>Lionsong laughed as the War Eagle ripped the surprised Griffon into two. She didn't know who her pursuer was , but was fairly certain his body was ripped to several pieces and plummeting to the hard mountains below.<p>

The griffon princess circled around once to see if somehow her attacker had survived. It was a slim chance, but she knew that slow falling monks, feather falling rings, or even flight spells could be employed. She saw the blood splattered ground below and noticed no signs of life. Satisfied that she had defeated her foe, Lionsong spurred her mount northwards once again.

The War Eagle she rode wasn't as fast as the swift Griffons that her order deployed, but it did have several advantages. First off was that they were fairly tireless. She suspected she only needed to land once maybe twice to reach the Northern Kingdoms. Secondly , its massive strength made it the only category of mount available to her that was able to transport her abomination captive.

She looked at her still sleeping prisoner and wondered if his capture was worth it. She didn't follow closely the schemes of her father and brother, but knew that they had shown their entire hand in the south with this raid. They had used their gnomish spies. They had called in favors from the various mercenary bands , and most importantly they had deployed their hidden Griffon troops that were serving with the Order of the Purple Griffons. Any spies, or hidden plants they might still have in Grom would be ruthlessly rooted out after today. She also knew that the Royal Adventurer's wouldn't be fooled by their deception. They would be bitter enemies with the Order of the Griffons after this day. Lionsong had no doubt the general populace would be tricked, and they would lump all the northern knights together to blame for this attack. The best case scenario would be that Grom would declare war on the North in retaliation , weakening Erland's hold as the Grand Champion . Her father would most likely seize that title , and be expected to fight a war against both the giants and the Grommers. It was a battle he couldn't win, but he would secure a few major victories to bolster his reputation, and the giants would wreck havoc on the coastal Order of the Narhwal, which would weaken his opponents once again. The worst case scenario of course would be that cooler heads would prevail in Grom. Even if they managed to control the angry mobs that would be sure to scream for retribution, it would be several weeks if not months before diplomatic relations between the North could be stabilized. In that time her father would be elected Grand Champion with the abominations help. Felwind would have to secure at least one major victory against the giants to cement his position , but afterwards he could pick and choose which cities of the Narwhal would fall to the giants. A much more dangerous game, but one she had confidence that her father could succeed in.

She looked at her prisoner once again, and strangely felt the need to touch his hair. It was warm, almost hot to the touch , which was a direct contrast to her cool dry skin. For some reason she desired to examine this creature more closely, but then felt the pressure of an attack aimed at her neck.

Lionsong pulled to the right, but a sharp pain struck her left shoulder instead. She glanced back and saw a dagger imbedded in her. She then saw a bloodied and battered barbarian woman rapidly climbing onto the tail feather's of the War Eagle.

"No touching Sarin. He's mine. ", the bloodied woman said grimly as she drew her scimitar.

Lionsong plucked the dagger painfully from her shoulder and marveled at how her foe managed to elude her detection . It would have been a lethal blow if she hadn't ducked , but the thought barely weighed on the Griffon Princess's mind. She produced a heavy mace and twisted on her saddle to face her enemy. The abomination was the property of the Order of the griffon now, and more importantly was her prisoner. She took no heed of the fact they were on the back of a flying War Eagle and charged her target.

"Death to thieves and stowaways. ", she yelled as her mace met the scimitar of her smaller foe.

* * *

><p>Kirgi grumbled angrily as he rubbed his skin vigorously. The dwarf , knight , summoner and his eidolon were sitting in the lead caravan as it trudged its way slowly to Fortress Grom. Halvor's plan with the orange paint had worked, but it apparently had worked too well. The griffon riders were fooled by their deception and their ambush went off relatively as planned. The lost of Yperion or Big Zax as well as some of the other guards and mercenaries was a setback , but a minor setback in the overall scheme of things. Currently the dwarf seemed agitated over other concerns.<p>

"I would have thought your blood lust would be sated enough that even you would forget your temporary orange skin. ", laughed Petrus at the dwarf. Although his barb was directed mainly at his short companion, Halvor and Adria both seemed equally annoyed at his comment, as they attempted to rub the orange paint off.

"Hey , first off, I don't mind the skin thing. I rather be orange then a corpse. Secondly , unlike my berzerker brethren I do not go into fits of blood lust. Its true I might enjoy a wee bit of mindless killing now and again, but I don't go bonkers over that sort of stuff. ", said the dwarf gruffly.

"So why are you so mad then?", prodded the summoner, a safe distance away from the dwarf's axes.

Kirgi growled ,"I'll tell you why I'm mad. If I wanted to mindlessly kill stuff , I would have joined the army. Instead I signed up on this caravan cuz I figured I'd get a chance to kill some weird stuff you know? Its not really adventuring, but I figure its a stepping stone to better things. I figure with the real Zax gone, we'd get our chance, instead we end up fighting some stupid military skirmish. ", complained the dwarf.

Halvor stopped his rigorous scrubbing . Normally the big knight would ignore his companions inane conversations but he was intrigued by the dwarf's logic. "Let me get this straight, fighting trolls is fine. Real adventuring right? Fighting griffon knights is not fine. Its soldiering according to you , correct? Please explain to me the difference. ", challenged the knight.

Kirgi shrugged. "Well its simple. Adventuring is basically fighting whacky monsters, while achieving stupid goals, and collecting boat loads of treasure . Well we certainly got enough of the weird critter part. Did you guys see that gorilla monster thing on the War Eagle? Scary stuff. The stupid goal thing is very open ended , we could be escorting girls taking food to their grandma's for all I care . However the thing that gets me is the treasure. The extra bucks from the Grommers is nice, but fighting monsters without loot is pretty stupid. Look at all the stuff we got off the trolls ! Gold, silver, gems, even some magic items. What did we get off those knights? Some beat up gear. Some pocket change.", the dwarf stated bitterly.

"Well if its monetary rewards that you are concerned about, you needn't worry. Some of those knights sported magical armor and weapons. One even had some rings and an amulet which I will attempt to identify later. So I'm sure you will be well compensated when we get the final tally. ", smiled the summoner.

"Nah...its not the same. Adventurer's should get paid with chests of jewels, or bags of gold. This..this is more akin to selling your dead relative's stuff at the pawn shop . I feel like those vagrants that I see in the slums collecting used metal for the blacksmith for a few copper. ", sighed the dwarf.

As the three debated , a shout from behind the caravan caught their attention. They looked and saw a huge War Eagle and several griffons engaged in a running battle with another griffon. The pursuing griffon's rider shot a perfectly aimed arrow at one of the escort flyers and it spun out of control wildly. The creature crashed heavily into the canyon wall and rained debris atop the caravan.

The three companions and the eidolon readied for another skirmish, but in a beat of a wing the griffons and the Eagle were gone. They waited for another pass but none came, and Halvor ordered the caravan to continue.

"Looks like you avoided another brush with boredom. ", chuckled Petrus. Kirgi ignored him and hopped off the wagon . The summoner looked at him inquisitively and saw the dwarf was attracted to some of the debris left in the wake of the flying battle above.

"Did you find an interesting rock or something?", asked the summoner.

Kirgi turned around and lifted a large leather saddle bag over his head. " In a matter of speaking I did! " , grinned the dwarf as he revealed the golden treasures inside.

* * *

><p>"Long Live the Emperor! "<p>

"Alphonso has returned! "

"Down with the Republic ! Empire forever! "

Earl frowned at the shouts that could be heard outside the palace. The assassin knew the cat was out of the bag, and it would be hard to maintain the secret for long. The siege golems revival and subsequent defeat of the raiding knights, had brought the people into a frenzy. Although the defenders suffered terrible casualties, the attackers were defeated and the city was firmly back into Grommish hands. From the reports coming in, Earl figured that over 3/4 of the North Gate guards were lost. Roughly several hundred assorted guards were lost in skirmishes around the city. Half of the First army company stationed in the city was destroyed from the initial surprise fire bombing and roughly all of the palace guards were slain or deserted. Even more troubling was their irreplaceable losses. The fact one of the palace's previously inert siege golems was destroyed was bad enough, but two skyships were gutted from fire, and one crash landed. The skyships were the backbone of Grom, and the assassin knew that they were literally irreplaceable. The capital was saved, but their ability to hold on it grew irreversibly weaker. Even more valuable then the skyships was the loss of his mentor Sir Karak. The assassin and the head royal adventurer was not on best of terms, but Earl did respect the man's power and loyalty. Even after the Emperor Alphonso disappeared several hundred years ago, the old royal adventurer kept his empire intact for his eventual return. Staving off both rebellion and old age till the true ruler of Grom returned.

Earl and Karak disagreed on many things. The main matter of contention between them was the issue of governance of Grom. Earl was a firm believer that the future of Grom laid with a return to the Republic. Alphonso's Empire achieved much, but its days of glory died when the Emperor vanished. The assassin believed it was time to move on. Karak however was a firm believer that the Emperor would return. It was an old prophecy , but the old Royal Adventurer firmly had his faith in it. The old man secretly tried to maintain and manipulate the empire as it slowly crumbled around him. The assassin had many allies and supporters in his quest to restore the Republic but they were sadly outmaneuvered by Karak. Many, including himself, were sent on a suicide mission to the northern mists, and they literally vanished from history. The magical mists that encompassed the north back then threw them several hundred years into the future. When he miraculously returned, Earl was shocked and deeply saddened at the state of decay the empire was in.

Southern Grom was a collection of city states barely held together by an overstretched army that had to contend with the city states petty rivalries and feuds and of course their southern neighbor the the Gnommar empire . Central Grom was a bureaucratic nightmare. Dozens of bloated institutions ran the heartland of the empire into the ground. Only the fabulous wealth of its merchant's kept Central Grom running. Rampant corruption and ingrained nepotism kept the wealthy region a prisoner of its own success. Of all the regions in Grom, northern Grom still was relatively intact. Despite its inhabitants complaints about tax collectors and corruption, the northern realm was relatively free and powerful. The only thing plaguing the north , was the ravenous hordes of monsters at its gates. It was similar to the southern Grom , save the army and the cities were working together not against each other. The Empire of Grom seemed destined to die a slow ignoble death .

Things of course changed a few years ago. General Olive and the Third expeditionary army returned after the magical mists were dispelled. She brought back not only 10,000 hardened veterans from the northern campaign, but dozens of juggernauts, golems , and of course a half dozen Grommish skyships. She quickly reestablished command in the fortress city of McDunnalds and was solidified her hold on the north. After the legendary victory over the Dark River Horde and the demon armies invading Lower Lueders the roads of Northern Grom were finally free of monsters. It seemed only a matter of time before Olive consolidated her grip on the north and reinstate the Republic to the south. Her early diplomatic overtures to Karak had failed miserably though, her envoy Reinhard was sent and was not seen again. It seemed destined that a civil war would occur.

Although the parts of the empire seemed amiable and cooperative to each other , Earl knew that a deep hidden animosity existed between them. The unification of the country seemed destined to lead to a civil war that no one wanted but everyone knew was necessary. Even as General Olive's path seemed set, the assassin made an amazing discovery. One of his associates comrades was revealed to him as the bloodline of Alphonso. This discovery gave the General and her camp a decisive ace in the hole. Not only for his ability to command his ancestor's creations, but it also gave them a legitimate claim to the empire. Olive decided to play it safe and cultivate his loyalties and await an opportune time in the future to reveal his heritage. She was confident that Earl could keep the heir safe from any dangers , and bided her time . However the raid on the capital just saw their carefully laid plans go up in smoke.

The people know what they saw. The golems of the ancient heroes had arisen to drive off the invaders , the emperor had returned. Although Earl had come to like even respect the heir to the empire, he shuddered at the tyranny and woe if the empire of Demon Emperor was restored.

* * *

><p>Although he was fairly influential, this was the first time Clovis had ever visited the Royal palace. The entire scene with the schmoozing and dueling seemed rather frivolous to him. It seemed more of a center of debauchery then buisness. Although Clovis liked his base pleasures, he liked profits better. As the Artificer took in his ruined surroundings he marveled and guessed what it would like like at its height. Now it was just another shattered and burned outbuilding. Despite its disrepair he was pleasantly surprised at the high level of their kitchen and remaining staff.<p>

"Wow...so you're that Zax! I didn't realize who you were at first! I heard so much about you! ", said Clovis as he stuffed his face with a fish morsel on a wheat cracker.

Zax nodded and in turn sampled something called a chicken wing. " You know Clovis..I can call you Clovis right? I've heard of these cowardly chicken beasts but had never actually eaten one before. I'm surprised they taste so much like lemming. I heard a lot of stuff tastes like lemming actually. ", declared the tiefling as he savored the platter of finely prepared snacks.

Clovis was in awe of the short swashbuckling hero. Like most denizens of Northern Grom he had heard of Zax's heroics in Lower Lueders. He had defeated a nest of vampires , stopped the black carriage murderer, and even vanquished the hag queen. As a merchant he had also took note that an expedition under the tiefling's command finally opened the pass between Heldann and Grom City. Although his buisness was almost exclusively between Karlston, McDunnalds and Lower Lueders the fact that a trade route was once again open caused the Colonel to take note. To top it all off, Clovis had personally witnessed Zax challenge and defeat the Boar Lord to single combat. It was a thrilling display that sent a chill down the artificer's spine as he recounted the details of the battle.

Zax and Clovis exchanged several stories. The pair was surprised that both of them had a tale about defending a caravan against a goblin horde. Clovis's tale was a grim one, where most of his band was slaughtered. The artificer managed to stay atop of a wagon, and rained spells and crossbow bolts onto his enemies while his allies barely held off the green horde. Zax's tale was a bit more over the top. The tiefling recounted his tale where he fought off the horde by himself with just his rapier and dragon golem. He would have rushed to meet them head long, but he had to defend the frail Adria from becoming goblin food. Despite the degree of "realism" between the two stories, the tiefling and the Enginseer found the other's story fascinating.

"So , besides clearing the caravan routes and liberating the city, what brings you to Grom City?", asked the Colonel wishing to continue the conversation with such a mighty hero. Clovis had met many famous people before, but Zax was certainly the most flamboyant and larger then life hero he had encountered. The artificer wanted to get to know the young man better, partly as a tale for his memoirs, and partly to relieve his own adventuring past.

Zax smiled and pointed to a grey haired elven maiden behind him. She seemed to be conversing and comforting Fetch's daughter Hush. The artificer thought the elf was pretty but not stunningly beautiful , although she did have that exotic look about her that only elves possessed. Clovis nodded in approval , it was obvious someone as heroic as Zax would have both fine and eccentric taste in women.

"What do you think will happen now?", asked the artificer as he took a small sauce covered sausage from a platter. Clovis tasted it and gave it a thumbs up.

"I don't know. My guess would be to clean up the city. Maybe we'll have a nice parade afterwards. People love a parade. ", shrugged the tiefling .

* * *

><p>"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! ", cried the jubilant mob.<p>

Olive dispatched several hundred marines to help keep order in the breached palace, but the crowd seemed restless and on the verge of a riot. Olive looked into their eyes and saw something she hadn't seen in a long time. Hope. The small general shook her head and wondered how beaten down the people must have been for them to look upon the Demon Emperor as a savior.

As her vessel hovered above the palace, she was given the unfortunate news of the destroyed skyship and the two that were gutted by fire. The damaged vessels could eventually be repaired, but the destroyed vessel was another blow to her dreams of unification under a Republic. By her count they lost close to five in the last few years. One to red dragon Dalton, one to the titantic monster known as the great squirrel, two against the Tiny Kingdom of Kalidon and one in this raid. That was 10% of their vessels . Grom's enemies would certainly take notice of such a loss. The general knew that the skyships were the only thing that kept the vast empire together, and wondered what would happen when they lost enough vessels so that they wouldn't be able to maintain their grip.

Olive pushed those thoughts aside, and told her servant Kube to have her General Staff explore that option. The general and her bodyguard stepped into a ornate basket and was lowered to the palace below. As expected, her confidant and co conspirator Earl was awaiting her. To her surprise and delight, the lost third member of her little pro republic group was also there. Reinhardt was one of the few people that she could trust and more importantly call a friend , and seeing his return brought a smile to her face. She was one of the few people that knew the exact nature of his true infernal alien heritage , but it did not matter to the General. She judged people more by their deeds and courage then any preconceived notions of evil and good.

"Reinhardt! ", she cried losing her formal composure. The girlish general literally hopped off the basket while it was still in the air, and plummeted towards the ground. Her bodyguard tried to stop her but she was too quick and nimble. They expected her to fall to her death, but the small general did a flip at the last moment and she landed catlike on her feet, before bouncing up and hugging the surprised blue haired, white skin tiefling.

"Olive...its good to see you too...and Lord Baalphzon ...is that you? ", said an exhausted Reinhardt. The imp merely nodded while landing lightly on the general's shoulder.

"I thought you were dead, slain by Karak to send a message to me. ", said Olive grimly.

"Tortured ? Yes. Slain ? No...do not worry I revealed nothing of importance to him. As a creature that has survived being tormented by Eight of the Nine pits of the damned ... it would take extraordinary efforts to break me. ", he said in a tired voice.

"Is Amirah...is she ok?", asked Olive with concern. Amirah was Reinhardt's strange eladrin companion. From her talks with her, she knew she was an outcast from the Court of Stars in Arborea, but she still did no know why the celestial would follow an infernal like Reinhardt. The two's relationship did not seem close or personal to the General, so she assumed Reinhardt must have some hold over her. She most likely assumed it was a debt, or perhaps something more sinister such as having knowledge of her "True name". A useful tool to have when dealing with outsiders.

Reinhardt shook his head. "I do not know her whereabouts or even if she is alive. I doubt she...I doubt she could withstand tortures as well as I can.", stated the infernal simply.

As they conversed the basket containing her bodyguards had finally caught up to them, and her men quickly surrounded her as to appear that they were still doing their duty.

"You heard the crowds right? The city knows. I think most of the soldiers know...even our own. ", said Earl coldly.

Olive sighed. The major stumbling to their plan was that despite his reputation, many people in Grom still looked up to the Demon emperor. Even in the north his name still held much weight. People saw in him safety and security and would gladly give up their liberty and freedom for it. "I did not expect our plans to come unraveled so soon. We can no longer hide him . I suppose we are faced with two decisions right now.", said the small girl sadly.

"Kill him or support him.", nodded Earl grimly.

"Well I don't suggest killing him, unless you want to make a certain high cleric of Rawk mad. ", interjected Baalphzon in the conversation he was not privy to.

"The crowds chanting is true then? ",asked Reinhardt. "I always wanted to meet the Demon Emperor or his heirs. He must truly be a powerful and terrible person, worthy to stand next to the Arch Dukes of the pit."

Earl chuckled, "Nah...he's a bit of a show boat who clings to his former glory. However the man is fearless . I've seen him face the Great Squirrel head on , and he was the one responsible for liberating the palace.", the assassin explained.

"The Enginseer? The guy stuffing his face with that Zax person ?", asked Reinhardt with an unbelieving look.

"Hail to the king Baby.", Earl said while a smirk.


	30. Chapter 30

Nymk dodged to her left slightly. Her dagger struck the Griffon woman in the left shoulder and she guessed she would favor her right one instead. She guessed correctly as she avoided most of the woman's charge. The swords woman felt the mass and power of her larger foe as she was clipped and spun, but grabbed a handful of the "platform's" feathers to prevent herself from falling off the flying eagle. Nymk grimaced from the impact but smiled smugly at the fate of her attacker. She guessed her foe would be screaming as she fell to her death from the wild charge.

The swords woman felt a presence rapidly close behind her. She fell on her back and rolled on the eagle's back to avoid the heavy mace blow. Nymk gasped in surprise , as the Griffon woman stood above her , seemingly ignoring the fact she was standing on a speeding War eagle. The mace wielding woman stomped Nymk's hand, but she released her grip at the last second. The swords woman tumbled backwards off the Eagle's back, the doom she predicted for her opponent was now befalling herself.

Nymk rolled and fell backwards off the beast, but managed to snag another tail feather in time. The war eagle squawked loudly from her grasp but continued its flight unabated. The swords woman's hands grip slowly slipped from the feather. Sensing an imminent plunge, she released her scimitar and grasped the feather in both hands. The eagle's trajectory swayed momentarily as she hung from her precarious position. Nymk was shocked to see her attacker stood perfectly leveled on the war eagle, seemingly ignoring the winds, and gravity.

"An enchantment of some sort, most likely magical boots. ", thought the swords woman as she hung onto her life.

Nymk attempted to pull herself up as the Griffon rider stalked calmly towards her. She was roughly half way up the eagle's tail feathers when the larger woman reached her. She knelt down and smiled at the battered but struggling swords woman. Nymk gazed at her icily , fully appreciating her dire situation. The Griffon rider simply smiled.

"Good bye. ", she stated simply, before smashing her fist into Nymk's jaw. The swords woman yelped in shock as her grip was loosen. Falling off the tail and out of sight to the mountains below.

* * *

><p>Olive gazed nervously at her co conspirators. Reinhardt was battered but looked as serious as ever, while Earl seemed not to care and appeared his regular impassive self. The small general waited nervously for the results of her actions.<p>

"Wait a second...so I'm going to be king? Like...THE KING?", asked Clovis in shock after Olive made the announcement.

"The proper term is Emperor I believe. ", corrected Baalphzon while sitting on Olive's shoulder.

"You guys are on the level right ? Ymir isn't hiding behind a curtain pulling this stunt is she? ", asked Clovis still in disbelief, referring to his long time dwarven ally and friend.

"You are the blood of Alphonso, your ability to command the siege golems proves it. Since Karak is no longer with us, there is no one to challenge this claim. ", spoke Reinhardt calmly while eying the freshly garmented and bathed Lord Quick.

The elf was quick to sense that eyes were on him and threw his lot behind the new regime, " Long live Emperor Clovis! Long live Emperor Clovis!", he whispered loudly in his strange raspy voice, while kneeling before his new liege. The guards were equally surprised at this chain of events and followed suit with the shouts and kneeling. Soon everyone knelt, Olive, Reinhardt, Earl, even Darwen, Sharliss , and Zax.

Clovis soaked in the attention, but something wasn't right to the old artificer. "Wait...wait...if commanding the siege golems was proof enough of my royal lineage , then why wasn't I crowned Emperor after the siege of McDunnalds. That's when I first took command of them.", asked Clovis suspiciously, recalling the climatic battle that awakened his powers.

Olive cleared her throat. "Forgive me my lord, but it was my belief that it would be too dangerous to suddenly introduce you to the public. Northern Grom was a collection of loosely connected city states back then, your return would cause much resentment from people in power. Many people liked the status quo, including yourself if I do recall. Reintroducing an emperor so suddenly would not be seen in a favorable light by many people in power. It was my decision to keep you safe till we can properly ...place you on the throne. Hence your quick promotion in the Enginseers. However your recent display of power has put us in a difficult situation. The people of McDunnalds were not as knowledgeable about their lore with prophecies and royalty then the people of Grom City. ", explained the small general nervously.

Clovis nodded at her explanation but was still not convinced by her sincerity. " You could have denied everything, flown me back north to keep me "safe" as you call it. The people would down here would be mad, but they would be pretty powerless to resist it. To my knowledge most of Northern Grom is more pro Republic then pro Empire, yourself included . Why install me now, or even at all? If what you tell me about my heritage is true, then I can understand keeping me as a useful political pawn, but isn't keeping me around now counter productive to your schemes. Wouldn't quietly imprisoning me ...or getting rid of me suit your cause?", asked the artificer with uncommon acumen of the situation. Olive was surprised at the foppish merchant's insight of the recent events, but Earl just nodded. He had been with Clovis long enough to know that not all of his eccentricities and foolishness were genuine. The man did not raise himself from being a noble on the verge of pauper's prison to one of the richest merchants of Grom without some degree of competence.

Lord Quick stood up and raised his rapier to Clovis's defense. "No harm shall come to you my Emperor when I Sir Ricardo Belcadiz, Royal Adventurer, Grand Duelist, Queen's Champion, Prince in exile, Scorpion of Gr...", began the elf lord but was rudely interrupted.

"Yes yes we know we all heard you the first time . ", said Clovis who concentrated on Olive and awaited her reply.

The General sighed and told herself that this was the only way, " You are correct. I do favor a Republic over an Empire. I served under Alphonso and knew first hand of the horrors committed in his name. It's true that Grom was safe and strong under his rule...but I believe there must be a better way to achieve similar results, some system that would ensure freedom, rights and liberty. It would serve my aims better to either hide you ...or imprison you , but it is not in Grom's interest to do so right now. We've just been attacked by our allies, the threat of the giants is very much real and dire, and I suspect the armies of Gnomar will intervene in the south when our forces are committed in the north. To top it off we are almost at a critical point in our skyfleet. Not including the two that were heavily damaged, we lost a vessel last night. That brings our losses to five in the last few years. That's almost 10 % of the fleet. If anything else happened to befall them all dreams of Grom, Republic or Empire will be lost. I have no desire to see our once great nation reduced to squabbling city states, ripe for conquest by our numerous enemies. Although I have no doubts the North could win in a civil war, I have no delusions that we would be unscathed. Even minimal skyship causalities would be too much . So for the benefit of the empire, I submit myself to you and your judgement. ", the general said humbly while kneeling towards Clovis.

Earl shrugged, "Don't look at me. I'm just a part time butler, sometime scribe. ", he said as he edged towards the door , keeping a quick get away option open.

Some of the guards and Lord Quick prepared to arrest Olive, but Clovis stopped them with a gesture. "When I was a boy...I was given a noble's education, but aside from that , grew up poor in the mean streets of Karlston. Part of my education was Grommish History. A fascinating subject, especially the parts of our military. Do you know what I learned most from that subject? ", asked the Emperor to the people in his impromptu court.

Everyone remained silent as they pondered his question.

"Cash up front! The military doesn't accept IOUs . ", stated Zax proudly , as he remembered his own days in the Quartermaster Corp in the Third Army.

"No...not quite. This is a quote taken directly from a military text. It's stayed with me for a long time, and I'm sure you'll remember it. Let me see. "Many horrible things are said about Grommers, and they all have a ring of truth in them. We are greedy, we are manipulative, we know no honor...but there's one thing you should know about us. It doesn't matter if its the realm of politics, economics, or war. We like to win , and we do whatever is necessary to achieve victory." .. That was in one of your own war texts Olive. ", quoted Clovis clearly.

A mock tear came to Earls eye, and he gave a solemn clap.

"You might not want an Emperor, but you need me to keep the country together. I certainly am not enthused about having a manipulative General , but from the situation described to me, I definitely need one who can fend off this nation's legion of enemies. I believe we can come to some sort of agreement that brings victory to Grom , and ruin to our foes.", smiled Clovis.

Olive nodded and breathed a sigh of relief.

Lord Quick continue to hammer the point of his loyalty . "Long Live the Emperor ! Long Live Grom! ", he shouted which was echoed by the rest of the room.

The chant spread , first from the make shift court, then inexplicably to the soldiers in the palace, then to the streets of Grom. Olive knew there was no turning back now, she saw that even her own soldiers seemed stirred by the Emperor's return. She just hoped she had made the right decision.

As the crowds seemed lost in their chant, Clovis sat next to the still kneeling form of Olive. "You know , that must not have been easy for you to do. You must be pretty trusting. ", said the old merchant to the youthful appearing general.

"I have good advisers. ", replied the General as she pointed to Reinhardt and then to a missing Earl. "I wasn't jesting about the critical situation we are in though. The threat of the giants poses a very real danger to... your kingdom. The gnomes will be a painful thorn at our side , but due to the decentralized governments of Southern Grom , we can suffer some defeats and still maintain hold of the Empire. More importantly is our skyship situation, despite their power we can not afford to place them in any unnecessary conflicts, every ship we lose is another step closer to the Empire's complete collapse. ", Olive stated grimly. The small general knew full well that besides their military value, they were instrumental in providing communication, supply, and projection of authority to the country side.

"Oh..about that. Although construction of the new Great Forge is my primary goal, due to the close proximity I have with Skyships since I joined the Army, I think I can replicate the magic of the skyships. I would have never figured it out normally, but since I travel so much on them I think I understand how they work, and more importantly how to duplicate them. ", Clovis said with a smile.

Clovis leaned into the general and whispered. "The secret is not the ship, its the chairs. ", he said cryptically with an impish smile.

That simple off hand statement floored the General. The secret of Grommish Skyfleet was always considered lost . High Chancellor Baktu, and Admiral Douglas raised the fleet half a millennium ago, and the secrets of their construction were unknown . If Clovis could truly reconstruct the fleet and add new ships it would start a Golden Age for Grom once again.

"Long Live the Emperor! Long Live Grom ! ", she shouted with hope in her high voice.

* * *

><p>Kirgi did a little dwarven jig as he showed off his bag full of treasure.<p>

"That's odd? Why would the griffons try to bomb us with gold?", asked Kirgi overjoyed with his find.

"They weren't trying to bomb us, at least not this time. I think their must be some sort of dispute over treasure. Like in the cautionary tales where a band of adventurers slaughter each other to increase their share of the loot. It is most likely some of the treasure they were fighting over.", stated Petrus as he tried to make sense of what he saw.

"Hmmm...I like my theory better. I think it would be cool if someone bombed us with moolah instead of fire or rocks. ", laughed the dwarf .

Halvor snorted at the comment. "Look Kirg, so you got a bag of treasure, that was clearly from the fallen Griffon. There's no way treasure would fall from the sky ", laughed the big knight.

Kirgi was about to comment , when suddenly a gleaming object whistled out of the sky . The companions all jumped back , except Adria who stood motionless as the object struck the ground near the moving wagon . Kirgi was the first to examine the object and was surprised to find a gleaming scimitar embedded into the ground, almost at its hilt.

Kirgi pointed at the object. He was about to say something but Halvor spoke first.

"Ok...ok...treasure does fall from the sky. ", grumbled the knight in defeat.

* * *

><p>Lionsong smirked as her vanquished foe fell to her doom. She had talent, but was obviously no match for a Princess of the Griffon. She turned her attention back to her long journey . She was never one for political maneuverings or courtly intrigue, but she hoped with her safe procurement of the abomination , she could gain her father's favor and stop Stormfeather's incestuous advances once and for all. She didn't desire to be heir to the throne, but she would gladly accept it to keep her mad brother in place.<p>

The Griffon Princess, knew that her brother's longing gazes and creepy flirtations were not meant to put her off guard. She cared for him, but not in the way he wanted . She knew that Stormfeather was genuinely insane. She shuddered at her fate if he ever was named Champion of the Griffon. She would most likely have to kill him or flee the north, both options she did not relish. Even if she had a mate , as Griffon Champion he could easily execute her lover through a duel or by assassins. The Griffon Princess knew she needed an "edge" to avoid her terrible fate. If her brother became champion , Lionsong knew the only options left to her would be fratricide or incest. Neither was a favorable option.

As the thrill of the battle left Lionsong, she concentrated more on flying the War Eagle. She had to fly low through the mountains for the first hundred miles or so, to avoid any patrolling skyships. After she reached the Devil's Forest, she could gain higher altitudes and fly back north. Unlike the faster and more battle worthy griffons, the great war eagles needed little rest and could fly a thousand miles easily before landing. Lionsong was pretty sure that most of the skyships were diverted south, so worried little about being intercepted. She was more worried about fatigue then Grommish Dragon Golems.

*Whack*

A spiked boot struck the Griffon Princess on the left shoulder . Lionsong gasped in pain as the boot opened the previous dagger wound she suffered. The Griffon knight fell back but quick rolled to her feet with her mace at the ready for her attacker.

The short lithe barbarian woman that had plagued her earlier landed nimbly on the Griffon's back after delivering her attack. She had put on spiked climbing boots of some sort and the mundane gear helped a bit with her balance on the flying Eagle. The boots dug into the feathers and flesh, but the thick skinned eagle seemed not to notice . Although she dropped her scimitar earlier, she had a pair of daggers ready. The weapons seemed more like short swords in the short woman's grasp.

"Round two?", asked the interloper as she crouched in a combat stance.

"Why not! " ,Lionsong laughed as she readied her mace.

The two appeared to be very different combatants indeed. Lionsong was over 6 feet tall, with rock hard muscles and flowing dark hair. Despite having an amazon appearance to her, her face was that of a princess. Which was only fitting , since that was who she was. Her opponent was much shorter and had short blond hair. She was very wry and lithe, but had a snake like sinuous strength to her form and movements. Her face was fair but seemed more impish and young then her seemingly more mature opponent. The pair both seemed ready to continue their earlier battle in earnest.

The smaller woman made the first move. She darted in quickly attempting to duck below the larger woman's reach. Lionsong saw what she was doing and unexpectedly took a step back while swinging her weapon in a wide low arc. It caught the swords woman heavily on the right shoulder causing her to drop one of her blades , but the smaller woman continue to press her attack. She got in close and stabbed once with her good arm , scoring a deep wound to the Griffon Princess's side. Lionsong ignored the blow and slammed the pommel of her mace down on her attacker, but she quickly rolled away . The smaller woman was off balanced and suffered a heavy kick for her efforts as she scrambled out of range on the unstable battleground.

The griffon princess smiled, even though she was stabbed her attacker took a more serious beating then her. She walked confidently forward to her heavily panting opponent and could tell she knew it was a losing battle. Lionsong had greater reach, strength, and most importantly stability on the eagle. She could tell from the wounds on the smaller woman, that she was almost finished. Despite this she drew another blade with her wounded arm , ready to battle again even though another exchange like the previous one would be the end of her.

"Give up? You're quite pretty...I might make you a pet, and give you to my brother to satiate...his appetite.", chuckled the Griffon Princess at her prey.

The woman had a puzzled look on her face then she grinned.

"You must be Lionsong. How sad it must be to know that everyone in the north knows about you and your brother's less then righteous relationship. ", taunted the woman .

Lionsong was incensed, she thought it was a carefully kept secret, but seeing how this wench knew made her red with fury. She gripped her mace tightly , and advanced towards her badly wounded opponent.

The smaller woman seemed to gaze at the abomination strapped like a trophy on the War Eagle. As Lionsong approach she thought she could hear the woman mutter something in a sad voice. "I'm sorry Sarin. I can't win this.", she said in defeat. The Griffon Princess grinned as she realized her foe was demoralized as well as injured, this would be easier then she thought.

As she closed with in striking distance. The smaller woman tumbled forwards past her. The Griffon Princess swung wildly at the target but she was gone before her swing could threaten her. Lionsong saw the woman stop by the War Eagle's head and brought both her arms straight out to her sides. She wondered if she was going to flap her wings and fly, when suddenly she lunged both daggers downwards, attempting to pierce both of the giant bird's eyes. Her injured arm only managed a grazing strike to the head, but her good arm plunged deeply into the pupil. The Eagle spun and squawked from the strike, flying wildly from the pain.

"NO!", cried Lionsong as she raced to the Eagle's reigns. She could still guide the bird to Griffin Eryie or at least to land safely, however as she approached the smaller woman spun around and shot straight at her midsection. She wrapped her arms around the larger woman's waist and pushed off the birds back. Despite her smaller size, she managed to lift the larger woman briefly off her feet . Lionsong realized what she was doing but it was too late. As her boots left the feathery floor the magic securing her to the bird was broken. Both women tumbled off the spiraling war eagle , falling downwards to the hard ground below.

* * *

><p>News of the emperor's return spread like wild fire through the city. The city was already jubilant at the raider's defeat but news of the siege golems and their royal controller sent them to new levels of euphoria. Rumors abound that the new emperor heard of the raid and flew in on one of the skyships to stop it. The people cheered as a glimmer of hope and change ignited in their hearts.<p>

"Long Live the Emperor! Long Live Grom ! ",they shouted in merriment.

Earl looked at the crowds outside the palace and smirked. "Poor bastards don't even know that their gonna be taxed even more to support the upcoming wars.", snorted the assassin.

Olive shrugged at his assessment. She was not a financial expert but she knew that additional funds would be needed to wage the upcoming campaigns. It did not matter if Grom was a Republic or an Empire, higher taxes were inevitable.

"We don't need to attend anything as tacky as a coronation do we?", asked Earl. "There's much to do still, especially since the squadron was directed to Grom City."

Olive and Reinhardt nodded in agreement, but Zax and Lord Quick seemed disappointed. A coronation would have meant a big party . A perfect place for the two to bask in their fame and deeds.

"Speaking of the skyships being diverted. It is to my understanding that Lord Quick was responsible for this?", asked Clovis sternly.

The elf lord had a knack for detecting if attention was focused on him, and even a bigger knack to determine if it was friendly or not. He slowly made his way to the exit as his new emperor spoke.

"Do not be concerned. I actually want to thank you sir, for saving Grom City. Without the squadron here, who knows how long they would have held the palace. The longer they would have held the palace the more their foot hold would grow. It wouldn't surprise me if they would be able to bribe the guards like they did at the north gate with all the treasure they looted.", observed Clovis.

"Technically they didn't get any of the treasury. The money they left with was Lord Karak's personal horde. He was at a point where he didn't need any , so he just left it lying around. ", explained Reinhardt in disgust.

Clovis thanked him for the explanation and continued. "Well , I understand we all have tasks to accomplish. It's going to be hard to explain to Ymir about our current delay , but I think I have a solution for it. Send Captain Rameriz to my quarters later , I'll have a message for my dwarven mercenary friend about this new situation. ", the new emperor commanded.

"To begin with I want to do some reorganizing. From what I can understand the chancellor Karak wielded the power of the Emperor while he was in charge, but did very little with it. He let the army amongst other things slide while he was in power. I intend to rectify things . I don't know much about being a sovereign , but I am a buisness man. I learned long ago the proper way to delegate my affairs. Its best to leave competent people you can trust and who know what they are doing call the shots in their fields of expertise. ", he stated while staring at Olive.

"Olive...I'm giving you temporary command of the First and Second Armies, along with the Third you already lead. I'm sure the other generals will protest, but I'll send some siege golems to back up my orders if they want to voice their concerns to me. ", spoke the newly anointed monarch .

"Yes my emperor.", replied Olive. It was what she always wanted, but she knew that the task before her would not be easy. Running the 3rd Army was difficult enough, but adding the dysfunctional First , and the shattered Second to her plate would be nigh impossible. However Olive was not known to shirk her duty and relished the daunting task before her.

"Since Karak is dead, we need a new Head Royal Adventurer as well. I've met a few during my time and none struck me as particularly dedicated to their task. Except of course for the first one I ever met. Reinhardt, I'm appointing you as temporary head Royal Adventurer. I'm sure you know the job better then I do. I'm actually not even sure what they actually do, but I'm confident you will do a good job in reorganizing them. ", Clovis spoke much to the disappointment of Lord Quick.

Zax patted the elf lord on the back. "There, there... I think your pretty competent . You throw awesome palace parties. ", lied the tiefling. The truth was Zax had never met any dedicated Royal Adventurer's they all seemed self serving or too self important to him. He didn't know who this Reinhardt was but he had to be better then the likes of Lord Kerr or Lord Quick.

"Lord Quick. To my understanding you're a duelist ? ", asked the emperor.

"The best. ", whispered the elf lord smugly.

" For your quick thinking and your skill at arms. I'm going to appoint you the new Lord Eggbert. I believe there hasn't been one in Grom for two centuries now. I think if we're going to jump start the empire, we need a Sir Eggbert to keep people in line.", declared the Emperor .

Olive raised her hand and began to say something in protest, but Earl's look shot her down. He then shot a glance at Reinhardt and the brooding Sharliss to ensure they would remain silent as well . The scribe nodded and approved of the emperor's decision.

The elf lord was brought almost to tears at the emperor's acknowledgement to his abilities. "Ye...s...my emp...eror...", he managed to blurt out as he was over come by emotion.

Zax smiled and was glad he supported the elf lord. Being on the good side of a royal adventurer was always a good thing. Even though he detested the lot of them, the tiefling knew the value of befriending one. The whole organization was a useless drain on the Grom economy, and one day he hoped they would all die and go away. They were all good for nothing money grubbers in his opinion.

"Since Karak was slain, I believe we have an opening in the Royal Adventurers do we not? ", asked Clovis to the newly appointed Reinhardt.

"For your bravery at the gate house, and for your other heroics and services to Grom. I appoint Zax as a new Royal Adventurer.", declared Clovis imperiously.

"Junior Royal Adventurer. There's a probation and trial period. ", corrected Reinhardt.

"Junior Royal Adventurer then. !", smiled Clovis.

Zax of course could not make the distinction, as he had passed out from glee from the title that was bestowed.

* * *

><p>As the royal court was in session, Sharliss waved Baalphzon to speak to her away from the crowds and commotion.<p>

"Damn, I should have sucked up to Clovis a bit more. I could have been a Royal Adventurer or something. I should have seen that coming, since I was one of the first to know his heritage . ", sighed the imp .

Sharliss ignored his statement and smiled to the imp. "Uncle Baal...I need a big favor.", she inquired sweetly while batting her lashes.

"Cut it out Hush. Your mind tricks won't work on me, and if they did your parents would literally kill me. ", snorted the imp.

Sharliss rolled eyes. "Ok...let me get straight to the point. I need to get out of the city and travel to Narwhal hold. To save Sarin and hopefully warn my parents of the political maneuverings of their enemies. "

Baalphzon shrugged, "That should be easy now that Clovis is emperor. He'll just lend you one of their skyships. You'll get there in no time.", the imp stated plainly.

Sharliss shook her head. "No, I'm sure he won't allow that. He's my father friend, there's no way he'll place me in such danger. He'll send a message and consider that enough till this over. If he suspects my intentions, I'm sure he'll even have me watched and placed under guard.", explained the priestess.

"Ask someone else then? Olive or even that Earl guy?", inquired Baalphzon .

"No, they will react the same way as well. They won't risk my father's friendship or his political pull on sending me north. They fear the fall out if something bad happened to me while I journey north. Even if I made it through the giant raiders, and most likely griffon riders, the knight lands are very...harsh on tieflings .", stated Sharliss cautiously.

"So you want me to help you go north? You think I don't fear your father's and more importantly your mother's wrath either? I think Clovis, Olive, Earl...they all have the right idea. It's too dangerous for you to go there. I don't think you really need to anyways. I'm sure Sarin is fine and your parents can definitely take care of themselves." , snorted the imp.

Sharliss was at wits end. "I ...I fear the worse for Sarin. He was captured and put on a Roc. Nymk went after him on a griffon , but that was over a day ago. She could have easily caught the war eagle that took him by now . I fear ..I fear the worse for her and Sar. As for my parents, they need to be warned , I doubt the Grommish reports will be 100% truthful despite their ties with the new regime. If they are being maneuvered into a political game, they will be in danger. All the champions of the north are very dangerous. I can see that the Order of the Griffon is most likely involved in all of this , and I've heard that Lord Felwind is the most dangerous Champion of them all. ", she said with fear and slight tear in her eye.

Baalpzon looked at the young woman's face , and saw her emotion was genuine. He wanted to help her, but he knew that it would be safer for all concerned if she stayed in Grom City. She was just reacting to the death of her friends, and she clearly did not want to see anyone else hurt. The imp simply shook his head.

"Look Hush. I want to help, but I am bound to remain in the city at least till my contract with Dimitri's is up. Even if I could leave, I don't think its in anyone's interest if you leave. I think its best if you just write your parents a letter and explain everything. I won't betray your trust in me though. I will not reveal your original request to Clovis , Olive or Earl. At least you can spend your summer in Grom City without guards watching your every move.

Sharliss saw her only hope vanish. She had hoped the free spirited Baalphzon would at least aid her, but she underestimated the influence her parents had on him. She bowed blankly and left the room to be alone with her thoughts.

Earl had told her to remain cool during the raid, and she did. However now that the raid was over, she was no closer to recovering Sarin or warning her parents of the situation. The deaths of her friends suddenly came to haunt her. Her loyal wolf Freiki, her kindred spirit Lilithy, even the strange shrunken giant Isula seemed to have died for no other purpose then to keep her safe. What good is being safe if she can't return the favor to her parents and Sarin. She was forced to sit back while others fought and the realization struck her like a hungry pang in the gut. She always wondered what drove adventurers to do things that the army or the royal Rangers were more suited to handle . Faced with this situation she then understood. It was their desire to make things right, to step up , to be the person that would be a beacon of light in dark times. It was an over simplification of her plight, but the young tiefling's heart burned at being powerless and unable to help.

"I've failed everyone . What do I do now ?", she said as she placed her hands over her face . The priestess sat in a corner then wept quietly alone .


	31. Chapter 31

Zax relaxed in his Villa enjoying the cool night air. The Knight's raid was over , and besides a curfew and temporary martial law , the city was back on its feet. The crowds during the day cheered the new Emperor and demanded retribution for the attack , but they were relatively orderly though. Despite the terrible damage the city and its citizens suffered , Zax's house was remarkably untouched. The only thing that was damaged was his small stable. A few arrows in his pony and a dead griffon were the only signs his property had been invaded.

To say Zax was happy was a vast understatement. Zax was elated . If the tiefling was talented and agile enough he would have done cartwheels.

All his dreams seemed to have come true . Not only was he given the title of a Royal Adventurer but he apparently had the Emperor's favor. It was only a junior posting, but Zax was sure it was only temporary, and he would be a full fledged Royal Adventurer soon. The tiefling knew that he was at the summit of the Grom hierarchy , only a handful of people were more powerful and connected then him right now.

Zax was given a brief run down of the history of the Royal Adventurers and the responsibilities he was expected to do by Reinhardt. Apparently the organization was started originally over a thousand years ago , by the feared Duke of Grom. It was a group of the 100 most competent individuals in the duchy. It was similar to the other knightly orders of other kingdoms , but it drew from all members of society regardless of social strata. When the Duke was assassinated and Grom was converted to a Republic, the Royal Adventurer's took on a different role. They became judge, jury, and tax collector in the vast Grom wilderness. They were the most feared and respected men and women in the realm. They were more powerful then Generals and more influential then Governors. As the centuries rolled on the requirement, role , and recruiting of royal adventurers had drastically changed. Currently the sole requirement to be a royal adventurer was power. It didn't matter what you believed in or if you had any moral authority, as long as you were considered dangerous you could qualify as a Royal Adventurer. Reinhardt told him that the reason for this was not to recruit people that could patrol the country, but to recruit people that would otherwise wreck or terrorize the country. The new head of his order explained to him, that the current crop of Royal Adventurers were only recruited because they were deadly folk . In any other country, such individuals would be locked up or "pacified", but in Grom these people were put into positions of power to ensure that they would continue the regime.

Of course such compliance didn't come cheap. They were given lavish salaries and ridiculous powers in the country. It was a form of protection payment , Reinhardt explained. Zax's mind boggled at the rates they were paying him. He was only a junior royal Adventurer but they were already paying him 100 gold a day. His expenses were covered and more importantly he was exempt from taxes. Zax was at first worried that he would be required to do some actual "adventuring", but Lord Quick assured him that particular requirement was purely optional. As a royal adventurer you could be pro active and useful like Reinhardt or sit around and watch people fight all day like Lord Quick . Weighing his options Zax was pretty sure which path he would follow .

Zax already had plans. Everyone that ever put him down he would go put in their place. He would especially make sure to throw his rank into the face of Lady Nayra. Before he exacted his revenge he was going to take a long vacation . Take the lovely Darwen to the Southern Islands of Irendi , maybe even Thyatis. He heard those countries tolerated tieflings . He was sure they could find something pleasurable that both of them could do together in those countries. The tiefling was also determined to make the most of his fat expense account.

"Zax..Zax ? Are you busy ?", asked Darwen tentatively.

"I'm free. ", replied Zax. He was always willing to talk to his lovely elf companion.

Darwen entered the room, with Sharliss behind her. Zax could tell the dark but formerly blue haired priestess was in distress. Her sunken eyes , revealed to him that she hadn't slept for days. Possibly since the raid was over a few days ago. While Zax was relatively unscathed and actually came out ahead during the raid, Sharliss had lost everything that was important to her. Her body guard Chins , her maids , Nymph and Birdgirl , the short giant whatsherface and even her big red dog.

"Zax . I need your help. ", asked Sharliss politely as Darwen offered her a chair.

"They took Sarin. I thought Nymk might have been able to retrieve him, but I fear the worse for her. They killed Lilithy and Freiki before my eyes, and Isula has been missing for days. Presumably slain in the raid. Despite Clovis's close relation with my father, they have suspended all diplomatic ties with the north till they resolved this dispute. That might take months or even an entire year. I don't know if my father knows the danger, but I feel compelled to tell him first hand what I witnessed. Also he should be warned if they do have Sarin. They will use him as a pawn to manipulate his favor. ", Sharliss stated.

"Won't a letter suffice for this information? I heard that magical communication is nearly impossible from Grom City to the North, but it should be possible from Lower Lueders or even Porlock's Port. ", asked Zax dreading where this conversation was going.

" A letter could warn him, but Sarin is my dearest friend. I feel that I should be at my parent's side in this crisis. ", stated the priestess.

"Wait...this isn't an attempt to go up north and rescue him yourself is it ? Cuz I'm pretty sure putting you in danger is the last thing Sarin wants. Also I'm pretty sure Clovis and Olive won't allow that either. If anything happens to you during a "rescue" attempt then they will be blamed. If we're on the precipice of war with the Knights right now, we'll definitely be in a war if you go through with this plan. I don't think this is a good idea. Besides, why tell me? What can I do ? ", asked Zax.

"They've closed the ports to any traffic suspected of heading north. No merchant vessel would risk the giant raiders and the Grommish retribution if they tried. They have also doubled the guards at the gates till they are confident they've rooted out any hidden raiders amongst the populace. There would be no way I could leave the city. Unless of course I had a Royal Adventurer smuggle me out. Take me quickly to Barkwark , where I can hire a vessel unafraid of the Grommish embargo. I've only been there once, but I know that the city is more free spirited and independent then Grom City or Lower Lueders . I'm sure I can find a ship willing to take me there.", the priestess explained.

"Please...I can't sit back and do nothing. People have died for me , sacrificed for me. I couldn't live with myself if the world was heading for Armageddon and I just sat back. Please Zax , I need your help.", pleaded the girl, acting and sounding very much like the small girl she really was.

Zax considered her statements. He looked at Sharliss and saw she was desperate for help. He looked at Darwen and could see the elf wanted to help. Zax knew if he got her out of the city, he would pretty much be expected to take her to Barkwark, then the north. The tiefling knew he could kiss his commission and any ties he had with the current Emperor if he did this. Zax fell silent as he considered his situation . After an indeterminate amount of time, he got up without a word, then walked out of the room. The sound of the back door closing meant that he had gone outside to the back garden.

Darwen and Sharliss looked at each other unsure what that meant.

"I'll talk to him.", replied the elf as she followed Zax.

* * *

><p>Stormfeather awaited nervously for his father's judgement. He had followed his plan mostly to the letter, and would have succeeded in all accounts except for the failure of his sister. He couldn't believe it, the Griffon Prince knew she was one of the most competent riders and warriors at his disposal. Her disappearance and failure to retrieve the abomination was surprising. Not that it would make any difference now. He knew his fate was soon be pronounced.<p>

Felwind sat on his throne and glared at the Griffon prince. Cold empty eyes, that have seen over a thousand men slain , studied Stormfeather. The Griffon Champion waved his guards away and soon the two men were alone in the room.

"I should kill you for your failure , but I won't .", stated Felwind coldly.

Stormfeather breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you my lord. The Great Hunting Bird is merciful.", he declared.

Felwind motioned him to stop. "You don't understand. I am not sparing your life because I am merciful. I am sparing your life because our enemies do not know of your pathetic failure yet.", the Griffon Lord explained.

Stormfeather looked at his father and was confused.

The Champion of the Griffon stood up from his throne and walked to a map on the wall. "News of the raid has reached the Eastern orders . They obviously suspect we are behind it, but we are neither confirming or denying this. Such is our way. However, there is also news that a certain grandson of the Warmaster, and Prince of the Ice Elves was also taken. From the inquiries and messages our spies have intercepted , they are not aware that even though we had captured him, we did not secure his return to our citadel. I surmise that your sister might have failed, but not completely. The abomination is most likely dead, but no one knows this. I imagine an errant arrow brought her griffon down and they fell to their deaths somewhere over the shattered mountains.", Felwind mused in a detached voice.

"War Eagle. She returned on a War Eagle since the abomination was too heavy to carry.", corrected Stormfeather instinctively. The Griffon Prince immediately regretted he spoke, and winced at the incoming attack.

Felwind looked at his son, and smiled. "No...Under normal circumstances I would have you slain or at least tortured. I can allow for no failure within my ranks, especially not from my children. However, if I punish you then my enemies will know you have failed. This I can not allow. At least not till after the assembly. We will leave our foes guessing. I'll arrange for "news" of a mysterious prisoner being thrown into our dungeons . Despite the lack of a real prisoner, the rest of the raid went according to plan. The Grommers have predictably cut ties till this issue is resolved. Thus weakening the position of Erland and his faction, and strengthening ours. I will drop a few subtle threats to the Elves and Warmaster if he shows up. I'm sure the election will go favorably for us.", stated the Griffon Lord.

Stormfeather nodded and waited for his father to dismiss him. Felwind waved him off, and the Griffon Prince breathed a sigh of relief as he left the court.

"Wait.", commanded Felwind which caused his son to stop in fright.

"We should throw a celebration. For a job well done of course.", smiled the Griffon Lord.

Felwind nodded , the Griffon prince knew retribution was delayed but it would still be coming. Maybe a party was just what he needed to prepare for his imminent doom or victory.

* * *

><p>Halvor and his caravan passed through Fortress Grom with little hassle. Such were the benefits of his association with Zax he smiled. Although his group did very little in liberating the Fortress, the perception of the defenders was they had a hand in it. That suited Halvor fine , he was allowed quick passage and was charged little to no tariffs as they made their way through. He even picked up a few dwarven mercenaries to fill in the one's slain by the griffon attack.<p>

There was word about a failed raid on Grom City,by Knights of all things. This confused Halvor since the Northern Knights were regarded as allies of Grom, but it did explain why they firebombed his caravan. He still wasn't sure why they singled out Zax, but that was the least of his worries. He considered returning to Grom City to check to see if Sharliss was safe, but knew he was probably over reacting. Sarin was a capable fighter, and he suspected her maid Nymk was tougher then she appeared. Sharliss herself was also a competent priest and aspiring wizard. If there was any trouble, he was sure the three would be able to handle themselves. He considered sending a courier to check up on her just in case, but knew he would be long gone before he could report back.

He looked at the handkerchief tied to his axe and wondered if he was over reacting. She did tell him to leave, and he did comply. That should be it for them shouldn't it? Why should he care if raiders attacked Grom City?

Halvor stopped and shuddered. Sharliss had wanted him to stay by her side, and he refused because of duty to some stupid caravan. If he stayed he could have defended her from any attackers. Even though technically he wasn't a real knight, he was sure he could beat one if he was confronted . The knights of Veb were a small quasi legitimate organization ran by his father, but they had a proud history and tradition. Legend had it they helped the mighty Sampson put down the mad cow of Veb, and even aided the great Monte Nabisco when his army was scattered by Goblins. His tiny order was not famous, but they were honorable and noble. Was guarding a caravan more honorable then noblely guarding a maiden, he wondered?

A finger poked Halvor , which snapped him to attention.

"I know what you're thinking. Your split between two paths right now aren't you? ", asked Kirgi with a smile.

Halvor raised and eyebrow and tried not to play the dwarf's game. His thoughts were his own and he wasn't about to share it with the dwarf.

"You're thinking if we should send a couple of men to follow the path of those griffons . See if we can find some more loot.", said the dwarf smugly.

Halvor smirked but agreed it was something he had considered. The scimitar was clearly magical and was of the highest quality and enchantment. Also the treasure in the sack was worth several thousand gold at least. The money was secondary to Halvor but he took a deep blue gem as his share. Petrus told him it had some binding enchantments on it, but was unable to identify its exact nature. Halvor didn't care for what utility it provided, he only took the gem because it reminded him of Sharliss's hair.

* * *

><p>Zax walked to the stables. His pony Bucky seemed excited at his arrival and tossed his head merrily. The arrow wounds he had taken during the raid had been properly patched, and the small war beast seemed happy to see him. Zax smiled and sprinkled some dust onto an apple, then threw it at the pony. Bucky easily caught the throw and happily munched down on the drug laced treat. Zax had ran out of his special powder awhile ago, but was pleasantly surprised that the merchant's in Grom City sold a similar blend. He wasn't sure if it was as effective as the stuff he got from the druids back home, but his pony certainly didn't mind it.<p>

As Zax watched Bucky eat the snack, the tiefling pondered his situation carefully. He wanted to help Sharliss but was specifically warned not to do so. General Olive herself told him to not assist the young Sharliss in leaving the city. If he was to help her to leave, there would be no returning to Grom City if his action was discovered. The tiefling sympathized with her plight. Zax had left Lower Lueders because he didn't want to be a pawn in some political scheme , and now Sharliss was stuck in Grom City because she had become just that, a pawn in some shadowy game of politics and diplomacy.

Zax weighed his options. If he helped her, that meant he would probably lose his new position. Even though technically a royal adventurer out ranks a general in Grom, he only had a junior position, and Olive was well connected with Reinhardt and the Emperor it seemed. If they somehow made it to Barkwark and retrieved a boat, how could he survive the Giant raiders? He only met a giant once, and that involved a lot of running on his part. If whatsherface the giant wanted to, she could have easily squashed him with a rock . An entire raiding ship of giants seemed too much for even a skyship to take on. The tiefling could imagine 30 giants tossing rocks at the vessel and bringing it crashing into the frigid waves. If somehow they survived the giants and made it to the land of the knights how could he possibly evade being hunted down? As long as Sharliss hid her small twisted horns, she could easily pass as human, but Zax was under no delusion that he could as well. His skin clearly marked him as a tiefling, and that was akin to a death sentence in those lands. Grom mistreated tieflings, but Knights killed them on sight. Also if for some reason the priestess was hurt or worse , killed, he knew he would be blamed. Zax shuddered at the retribution that would befall him if he was singled out , especially from Sharliss's dark mother. Helping the priestess seemed a very bleak and grim path to follow .

On the other hand, if he stayed. Sharliss would probably get mad and head back to the Academy . She'll be angry for awhile but at least she would be safe . Despite the political implications of Sharliss remaining in Grom city , her safety was what everyone wanted. Zax knew that Olive, Clovis...and even Chins and her father probably wanted her to stay . The tiefling would then be free to enjoy the summer happily traveling to the southern realms and playing the part of an obnoxious rich tourist . Something he was looking forward to doing.

As Zax smiled at his future vacation , he paused. Darwen would not approve. The elf still had foolish ideas of helping the helpless and doing the right thing. The tiefling recalled during their training / sparring sessions it was something known as honor or some other foolishness. Zax imagined she would help the priestess with or without his aid. That would leave Zax to vacation by himself unless he could replace his companion with one of the many attractive , attentive, and most importantly rich ladies at court. The tiefling thought he could win any woman's hand right now with his new found status and wealth he received from Kirgi's questionable gambling. He didn't need Darwen . Did he?

Before Zax could answer himself, a knock on the stable door caught his attention. He turned around and saw the elf at the door. She was in her old leather armor and breastplate, but Zax still thought she looked stunning. He looked at her framed by the night sky and wondered if he would ever see her again after tonight.

"Zax...I wanted to talk to you about Sharliss.", the elf said nervously.

"Stop..Stop right there. I know what you are going to say. Look, I want to help Sharliss too, but...its too much. I can't do this. The last few weeks we shared ..not counting the fights for our lives, the duels, the sewers...they were the best in my life. I don't know why but you're unlike anyone I've ever known. I'm not talking about your exotic good looks, or your skill with the blade and magic. I'm talking about our ...connection for lack of a better word. I can speak freely when I'm with you. I don't feel the need to spin my tales of crap and lies when I'm with you. They wouldn't work with you anyways. You can see straight through them, and know what I feel and think. I'm going to be honest with you right now. We both know I'm not a hero. This entire Royal Adventurer thing was just a lucky coincidence. The Sergeant at the tower was more heroic then me. He deserved this post more then I do. Everything I've done recently is due to luck , help from my friends, or this reluctant magic sword I have . We both know my skill at blades is lacking and my aim with the dragon golem is horrible. If I help Sharliss, I'll die. Even with your help, my death would be inevitable. If we somehow reach the Knight's realm, they will kill me on sight. Champion of the fluffy dog or not. That's what those people do. It's like dwarves and goblins, gnomes and kobolds, orcs and elves. Knights and tieflings don't get along. Now before you ask me, l want to tell you this. I won't willingly help Sharliss, but I will follow you if you go. I just feel... compelled to be with you. Please don't ... I know she feels an obligation to help Chins and warn her father, but its best if she didn't . That's something a real hero will do. I don't want to follow you but I will... I don't want to die...so please ...please don't do this. ", begged Zax .

Darwen considered his words and knew he spoke from the heart. She shook her head and waved him towards her. Zax meekly followed and she took his hand. "Zax...I want to help Sharliss. When I was a child I dreamed of being a hero. A hero that aids people in need. My heart yearns to help her. She lost all her friends and servants, and her father is in danger. We're all that she has left. Helping her just feels like the right thing to do. However...the last few weeks had taught me plenty. I've been beaten and humiliated at my own fort. Defeated in a duel, and lost my composure over a defeated enemy. If there's anything that I found out about myself , its that I'm not a hero either. As much as I've trained , studied and prepared...my skills are lacking when put to the test. Zax...I told you I considered ending my life right? When I was in the cell, being beaten and abused by Samuel and his friends...I wanted to kill myself but was too cowardly to do it. I thought of provoking the jailor to do the deed for me...and I almost did. Luckily for me , you stumbled into my life. ", she said with a forlorn smile. Zax tried to return the smile, but was too sadden by her speech to do so.

Darwen took a deep breath then continued. " When you knocked out Samuel, that brought back a sliver of hope and pride in my heart. In my mind you were my hero, someone to stand up for me and set things right again. Even though you were defeated by the bandit leader, you somehow managed to do all I had expected of you. In fact, despite your constant claims of cowardice and incompetence you defended me from Aldrin , captured the gate house, and even beat that Boar Lord. Always know , regardless if you don't believe you are a hero, you will always be one to me. "

" You know what's funny ...when I was a girl I really wanted to be a swashbuckling adventurer of some sort, or at least participate in legendary deeds. Perhaps be a squire for some powerful knight or an explorer or something. So I trained in the blade and spell to somehow accomplish that. Despite your claims that I possess a radiant beauty , we both know that's not true. Yet somehow I got the chance to battle armies, fly in a skyship, even meet the emperor...all because for some reason I caught your eye , and I have some bartender like power for you to speak honestly to me. I understand your reasons for not helping Sharliss, but I won't force you to help her. If you don't want to go , I won't either. I'm not the hero here, you are. If you don't feel confident to do it, how could I be the one to force you to. ", she said sadly. Zax could tell although she said she wouldn't force him to go, the elf felt obligated and deeply shamed if she didn't. That didn't matter to the tiefling though.

Zax looked blankly at Darwen. He definitely didn't expect that response. Dreams of heading to the southern realms once again danced in his head. The fact the lovely and deadly Darwen would be at his side made things that much better. He wasn't sure when she would realize that he was a coward and a loser, but he intended to enjoy their time together till she came to that conclusion. The elf was too modest of her own abilities and attributes, and Zax hoped that frolicking along a beach in a tropical paradise would help her come out of her shell. Of course the tiefling would be there to assist her and reap the rewards of her future attitude change. Zax smiled happily as he considered the sunny future that waited him.

He brought Darwen close to him, and the pair exchanged a deep passionate kiss in the cool night air . Her shame at not helping the priestess melted as their lips met. The Tiefling felt everything was right, everything was going his way. No longer would his life be complicated by monsters, tax collectors, scary girls or crazy magic swords. Zax knew that at this moment in time his life had changed for the better.

As Zax embraced the very receptive and amorous elf, his perfect moment was interrupted by a distant sound. It was a quiet sobbing from within his villa. A sad lonely weeping, a sound Zax had heard when he was in the orphanage and when he found himself alone in the alleys of Lower Lueders. A barely audible cry for help , even though no help would come. Zax held Darwen closely as the pitiful sound haunted him.

* * *

><p>Zax strode imperiously back into the villa with Darwen in tow. "I had to check on my noble steed to see if he's ready for this quest. ", the tiefling declared . Surprising the tear streaked face of his elf companion.<p>

"You'll...you'll help me?", gasped Sharliss who wiped her own tears away and quickly recovered her normally cool composure.

"Of course I will ! That's what heroes do. ", scoffed Zax, unsure of what he had gotten himself into.

Sharliss nodded and the crying girl was replaced with the confident priestess that everyone had come to expect from her. "We can't do this on bravado alone. We'll need more companions to do this." , she stated grimly while recalling the ones that she had lost so recently.

"Maybe I can help. ", said a whispery raspy voice from the main doorway. A flamboyantly dressed but still menacing elven figure was at the Villa's main entrance, the elf lord strode through it , caring not if he was invited in or not.

"Lord Quick? ...err what are you doing here?", asked Zax nervously , his bravery suddenly replaced with fear at the thought of being implicated in helping Sharliss.

"I'm the new Lord Eggbert...I can go anywhere I please now. ", smiled the elf lord. "Fear not I will not reveal your plans to the Emperor or his lackeys. I came into your villa since I heard the lovely Sharliss was here. To my surprise, I found her in great distress. As demonstrated by my second , sixth and eleventh wives I have a soft spot for women in distress. Especially lovely women. If it was something besides going to the Knight Kingdoms I would certainly help, but alas my new job has a very short leash it seems. Reinhardt insists I work closely with him at least till the Emperor's power is consolidated. ", sniffed Lord Quick bitterly.

"You were spying on me?", asked Sharliss in shock.

"Spying is such a harsh word. I prefer the term keeping a furtive watch. However in this instance I can honestly say I had a genuine errand that needed the Lady Sharliss's attention. Luckily it might also be something that can help you. ", quipped the elf lord in return.

"So what can you do to help us?", asked Darwen suspiciously , ignoring the elf lord's babbling.

"Fear not! Even though I will not be able to accompany you, I have a host of friends and acquaintances that can assist you. ", boasted Lord Quick.

The elf waved to the door and one of his servants appeared . Zax wondered who else Lord Quick had brought him outside and began to peer outside. Before he could look , the elf lord suddenly began questioning the man he summoned.

"Montana the dwarf, is she available? ", asked the elf.

"She's dead sir. Has been for fifty years. ", replied his servant.

"Hmmm...Lernal the Swill? ", inquired Lord Quick.

"You imprisoned him yourself for tax evasion.", answered the servant.

"Oh yes, quite right. Ignis the Red? ", wondered the elf .

"Journeyed north already. ", the servant said curtly.

"Ahhh...I know Bruenor Ironhammer!", the elf smiled triumphantly.

Zax knew that Bruenor was a fairly common dwarf name, and there were two famous Bruenors he could think of off hand. "The dwarf with the drow servant? ", the tiefling asked , inquiring about the less famous one first.

"That one is from Clan Battlehammer, strictly minor leagues. I'm talking about Captain Bruenor Ironhammer! Elder of Vorin Narg and personal healer of Monte Nabisco!", boasted Lord Quick.

Zax's spine tingled at the mention of Monte Nabisco. The King of Legends himself. The master of daring. One of if not the greatest hero that ever lived. Even if Lord Quick could only produce the healer of the famous adventuring hero, that would be well beyond any of Zax's expectations. With such a companion, he might succeed with this seemingly hopeless quest.

The tiefling fondly recalled all the tales he had heard of the legendary general and his companions. How their stories made his seem pale by comparison. He had defeated an army with just a handful of men, he bested a Red Dragon, rescued one of the most powerful wizards in the realm, freed King Alphonso, and of course defeated Lolth the Queen of the Demonweb pits on her own plane. Was there anything this paragon of perfection couldn't do?

* * *

><p>Somewhere in an unknown time and at an unknown location.<p>

"What's the hold up !", demanded Monte Nabisco over the roaring wind. The famous General and his companions had been slowly scaling a mountain to hopefully catch their foes by surprise. Monty had sent his personal assassin Sarisha D'Rice and the dwarven cleric Bruenor to scout the path, but was disappointed to find that their progress had been stymied.

"Its bad ...real bad...", Bruenor shouted back. To accent his point, he pointed to a narrow chasm, with a frozen log connecting it. On the other side Monte could see the large bundled up half elf Sarisha waving enthusiastically at him.

"Eh...I don't get it? There's a chasm, but there's a log over it. I see Sarisha on the other side...what's the problem?", asked the puzzled General.

"It's not that easy. The log..its icy. Its um really slippery. Sarisha can cross it ...well because she's Sarisha. The rest of us wont be so lucky.", explained the dwarf cleric.

Monty scratched his head, " Throw a rope across ?"

Bruenor shook his head," Already tried that, there's nothing to attach to on the other side."

"Drive spikes in the log?"

"Log is too hard...even dwarven steel can't pierce it."

"Fly over the log with a spell or a summoned creature?"

"Winds are too fierce."

"Teleport?"

"Innate magical disruption here is too strong."

"Crawl on our bellies on the log?"

"Too slippery, we'll just slide off."

"Use magic to shape the ice ..or better yet use warp wood on the log. To create foot and hand holds?"

"Sorry...Magic log."

Monty stared at the dwarf in frustration, he hoped he was joking but his grim visage told him that this obstacle was very serious indeed. They were the amongst the most powerful adventurers in the world, but they were stopped dead in their tracks...by a log.

"HEY What's the hold up!", demanded Amadon Damaze, the general's personal gnome magician, as he caught up to the rest of the party.

Bruenor simply shrugged and pointed to the icy log.

"This is an outrage. I am Monte Nabisco the Great General of the Third Army. I am the most decorated man in Grom Military History. I wield the sinister blade Dark Flame. I've battled the dragon Aiken the Burner, freed Boryis the Spyder, rescued King Alphonso and have even defeated the Queen of the Demonweb pits, Lolth herself. An ice covered log will not stop me! . Stand back besotted fools ! Let me show you how a real adventurer handles this.", said the bold General as he pushed his companions aside.

Monty took a couple of tentative steps , but seemed to maintain his balance on the icy bridge. He turned to the group and gave them a thumbs up...before a gust of wind blew the General into the chasm.

"L - A - M - E !", shouted the Epic General as he fell to his doom.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick smiled as he played with Sharliss and her friends.<p>

"I do have one candidate though. The real reason that I came here. As I stated before I was running an errand , not to Sir Zax's residence but to find the lovely Sharliss here. It seems as my servants were clearing the rubble from my estate, they found someone trapped in the rubble. She was surrounded by corpses of Griffon Knights, so I assume she is quite capable of assisting you in your endeavors.", declared the elf lord smugly.

"So...I heard you guys were going to return north? Great..that's where I'm from. I'm also looking for some...how did Sarin put it...some payback. ", said a high voice from a white haired girl wearing ornate armor and wielding a bladed staff.

"ISULA! ", shouted Sharliss who quickly ran and hugged the girl .

Zax wasn't sure if this girl was actually a giant or not, but some help seemed better then no help at the moment.


	32. Chapter 32

"Hah! Another goblet for me!", boasted Kirgi to Halvor. The dwarf skipped and hopped over the rocks to retrieve his golden prize, as the big knight struggled to maintain his balance on the steep mountain slope.

"Good job you greedy midget. ", grumbled the knight under his breath as he followed his companion. Halvor regretted agreeing to form a scout party to retrieve any more of the falling treasure. Petrus and Adria remained with the caravan, while the knight and the dwarf retrieved the "discarded" loot. Halvor at first wanted to just go several hundred feet off their planned path, but the dwarf's nose for gold was remarkable. The further out they went it seems, the more valuables they found. Halvor had two full sacks of golden keepsakes now, and by the way the dwarf continued to find them , he would need another two. The knight knew they were far off the trail now, and just hoped Kirgi could find their way back and rejoin their fellows.

"We're pretty far out Kirgi. Don't you think it would be wise if we returned?", asked the knight as he caught his breath from the climb.

Kirgi stopped and shrugged, "Its only...10 miles or so. We can be back in a few hours if we jog.", he said off handily.

"Jog? I'm not like you . I'm not a mountain goat. ", complained the knight as he commented on the dwarf's ridiculous statement.

"Ok, ok...after this ridge, we'll head back . It's a shame though. All this good loot going to waste. I bet it will end up in a goblin's lair or something. Or maybe lining in a carrion crawler nest. ", moaned the dwarf.

"Carrion crawler's don't have nests. They live in carrion. ", stated the knight. The dwarf simply shrugged as he continued his treasure hunt.

As Kirgi made it up the ridge, he suddenly stopped. Then he stood up and seemed to look in awe at his discovery.

"What is it?", asked Halvor who noticed the dwarf's reaction.

Kirgi remained silent as he waited for Halvor to catch up . When the knight made it to the top, he stopped and stared as well. They had discovered a hidden valley of some sort. It was a lush sylvan setting with a single river running through it. Near the top of the valley was what appeared to be ruins, while the lower part was obscured by trees. Halvor did not recall this area when they scouted it last year, but these mountains were quite vast, and it might have escaped their sweep.

Kirgi immediately took out parchment and a stylus and began to roughly sketch the area, while comparing it with his old maps. "This is all wrong. We went through here last year, and there was no valley.", puzzled the dwarf .

"Magic then?", asked Halvor suspicious of the dwarves cartography skills.

"I guess so. Maybe it was under some illusion . In any case , I'm recording this area in case we want to check out those ruins at a future date. Who knows, I might be able to sell this map to some treasure hunters.", nodded Kirgi.

"Sell a treasure map? To some adventurers? You make it sound so typical and mundane. ", smirked the knight.

"Don't be surprised but treasure maps are exchanged all the time. The secondary map buisness is quite bustling in Grom. People make their fortunes on them buying , selling, and speculating on them in taverns.", explained Kirgi.

"Why Taverns? Wouldn't it be safer and more legitimate if they did it lets say in a library or a guild hall of some sort?", asked Halvor .

Kirgi shook his head, "I wondered that too, but Zax explained it to me. If you buy or sell them in a guild hall, then there is an immediate capital gains tax levied on the seller. However if you purchase them in a tavern, you can evade that. Apparently you aren't buying a map, but your just buying a very expensive drink , with a unique coaster. At least that's what he told me. ", shrugged the dwarf.

Halvor chuckled at the logic. As his mood began to improve, the dwarf suddenly held out his hand and gave the symbol for danger, then motioned for him to get down. The knight obeyed and saw the dwarf staring into the valley. He saw a six knights dressed in a similar manner to the ones they had fought earlier . They were several hundred yards along the canyon wall from them and were proceeding cautiously with weapons drawn into the area.

Kirgi looked at Halvor and waited for a command. The knight knew they should probably retreat . Six against two were not good odds, especially if they had their griffon mounts nearby. As the knight began to signal retreat the dwarf motioned at him and pointed deep in the valley. Halvor's eyes narrowed and could see a tall woman in a simple white robe attending a grove. A druid perhaps? Maybe a nature spirit. Regardless of who she actually was, he could tell by the way the knights were proceeding they meant her harm. As a knight he could not allow that.

"We'll follow them , maybe ambush them in the woods. I don't know what they're up to , but I won't let them harm that woman. ", Halvor said grimly.

Kirgi grinned, "You know...we could just shout or make a loud noise to warn her from here. However, I like your plan. I still owe those boys from the beating I took in Lower Lueders."

* * *

><p>Sarin opened his eyes. There were plants all around him, and a large tranquil pool. The air was fresh, and he assumed he was in a grove somewhere. The elf noticed most of his clothing and equipment was gone and he wore only two large leaves tied around his waist.<p>

"Wow...that was a crazy party last night. ", muttered the half elf. He looked at the sylvan surroundings and wondered how he got there. The memories of the previous night were hazy to say the least. The paladin remembered going to a party. Lord Quick's estate he thought. Then there were party crashers. Some playful fighting , and finally he recalled a tall raven haired woman .

The paladin stopped, he also recalled some green dust. Sarin broke out in a sweat. When he was younger, he experimented on some illicit substances much to his regret. He swore he would never do drugs again, but here he was waking up in an unknown location with no memory how he got there. It was just like the last time he blitzed himself on Black Lotus. One moment he's partying it up in Lower Lueders the next he's waking up half naked in some giant tree house named Pendlehaven, that was repeatedly twisting and "tapping" . The half elf wondered what could have caused him to go back on his vow, and how he could make up for it.

"I bet Sharliss is worried sick.", he said with a smirk. His stomach growled and the elf frowned. He hated when he was hungry. It wasn't the physical pain or the fatigue, but the knowledge his body had begun using his fat stores for energy. Sarin took great pride in his appearance and he knew the less he ate , the more anemic he would look.

"Is this Sharliss your mate?", purred a husky voice behind the half elf. Sarin smiled proudly , apparently he had company during his wild night. The half elf wasn't proud of what he did, but at least he didn't do it alone.

Sarin turned to face the voice, and his jaw dropped. Before him was a tall full bodied woman with long dirty blonde hair, decorated with wild flowers and twigs . She had rich vibrant skin, clear sky blue eyes , and was dressed in a simple form hugging white dress.

Sarin smiled then cleared his throat, "Errr hello. My name is Sarin..and you are..."

"I am Kania. The guardian of this grove. I have many questions for you.", the woman replied as she sauntered towards the paladin.

"I have questions too. For example , how did I get here?", replied the half elf.

Kania stopped at the edge of the pool, and she seemed surprised at how forward and confused the half elf was. "You came here on a Great Eagle. Much bigger then the ones that hunt in the mountain. I suspect it must be from the Great Tundra to the north. Your mount was very injured, it was recently blinded in one eye, and its body was riddled with arrows and other wounds. You were under the effects of a poison. I believe the type is a rare blend called elf bane. You were also bound to the eagle, most likely to prevent you from falling off.", explained the woman hypnotically with a husky voice.

Sarin was confused , he had heard of elf bane before, but wondered why he would ingest it for recreational use. He also wondered where he got a Tundra Eagle from. He must have had an accomplice if he had the foresight to tie himself onto the eagle. That must have been some party he thought.

"Thanks , errr for taking care of me. This isn't like me, I assure you . I almost never do drugs , and would never drive under the influence. ", the paladin stammered.

Kania looked at him curiously. "I don't think you understand. You were clearly attacked and incapacitated by the drug. I assume who ever drugged you also tied you up, you were clearly a prisoner when I found you. I guess from the attacks on the eagle, someone did not want you to be taken. Your kidnapper either jumped off or was slain, I wasn't sure how , but the eagle made it here with you aboard alive. I assume it is Arcturus's providence that you survived.", she said solemnly with eyes closed while making the sign of Arcturus.

Sarin considered what she said. His memory was hazy, but Kania's assessment of what happened to him resounded clearly. He began recalling griffon knights attacking last night, and then he recalled the raven haired woman attacking him with dust pots. Was Nymk safe? Then Sarin recalled he was with Sharliss at a party, and he suddenly feared for the priestess's life. Where was she? Was she safe?

As Sarin raged impotently , he suddenly noticed something odd. As he looked to Kania for answers, he saw that her reflection did not mirror her appearance. The water was clear, and he saw that the upper portion of the image was similar to the woman before him. The only difference was that her eyes might have been a bit larger and more feline. Her legs however were non existent. They were replaced in the water by the body of a large bestial animal. More akin to that of a large savannah hunting cat then anything else Sarin could think of.

Kania saw his gaze and smiled. "Shall I drop the guise?", she asked .

Sarin already knew what was before him before she replied. One of the most dreaded monsters in the wilderness. The haunter of ruins ...the breaker of wills. "Lamia...", he whispered as he balled up his fists in preparation for a fight.

Kania nodded in response. "Correct, but you have little to fear from me. If I wanted to dominate you , I would have done so a few days ago."

"Wait...a few days ago? How long was I out?", Sarin asked. He was more concerned with Sharliss's safety then his own at the moment.

Kania shook her head, "You have been under my care for almost two days now. "

Sarin sat down , he wasn't sure what was going on, where he was, or who this creature in front of him was. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare . I apologize for repaying your kindness with suspicion. I am on a quest. A sort of ongoing thing. After hearing I've been gone for at least a few days, I fear I must hurry back. ", apologized the half elf.

Kania accepted his apology with grace. "It's quite all right , most people flee or attack when they discover my true identity. ", she said while sitting next to the paladin."I have your gear cleaned and readied. You had no weapons with you, but I assume they were taken. Fortunately I have several I can supply you with. You will be escorted to the edge of my kingdom and there you can resume your..quest.", the lamia stated.

Sarin looked at the beautiful woman before him , and tried to guess her motives . Not due to her monstrous heritage but because she seemed uncommonly helpful. "Why are you doing this?", he asked bluntly.

The lamia gave him a look, that the half elf could only classify as hungry. She leaned close to him and inhaled his scent. The smell caused Kania to close her eyes and she seemed to savor the aroma. "I do this because you've been blessed by Arcturus. ", she purred .

* * *

><p>Nymk opened her eyes. Her body was wracked in pain. She could feel her leg was broken, and most likely several ribs as well. The dryness of her lips and her general state of parchness told her she had been out for several days now. Due to her curse or blessing of being a Bride of Boryis, her body was unnaturally resilient to pain, injury, thirst and hunger. She also healed unnaturally quick , was virtually immune to disease and possessed unnaturally long life . Not that a Bride of Boryis actually needed these attributes, but the Grand Sage like to over estimate his prowess in his bed chambers. For her to be broken so thoroughly meant she had suffered an extreme beating.<p>

As the barbarian swords woman regained her senses , she remembered her pursuit of the War Eagle , her battle with the Griffon Princess, and her last ditch attack which sent them both tumbling to the unforgiving ground below.

Nymk recalled that they were almost past the mountains when she tumbled. As she looked around, it looked like she fell into a forest of some sort. She tried to stand, but could only manage to sit up. From her resting position, the swords woman retrieved a vial from her magical bag, and quaffed it . Fortunately for the delicate vials the bags magical power had protected them. The potions restored a bit of her vitality. She only had two more vials left and wondered if she should save them. As she pondered her dilemma she recalled the item that was given to her. Nymk then took the tube that Sharliss gave her and studied it carefully.

The swords woman looked at it carefully and it simply said "Heal". Nymk unsealed the tube, and retrieved the scroll from with in. Although she was trained in a wide variety of arcane lores , she wasn't certain if she could utilize the magic in the scroll. She assumed that Sharliss had given her the tube to use on Sarin, but she couldn't help anyone in her own current condition. The swords woman studied the runes and focused her mind to unleash it.

With a sigh of relief the magic flowed into her, and she felt her flesh heal and her bones mend.

Nymk picked herself up and took a better survey of the area. The plants were slightly more tropical then typical in the north. The ground also had a light dusting of ashes. Nymk shivered as she realized where she was. The Blood Woods. The ancestral home of the savage Blood elves.

* * *

><p>Kirgi and Halvor made their way down the valley, taking care to stay out of sight and remain out of the Griffon knight's vision. They entered the valley from a different point then the knights, and they had hoped to be able to find their path and pursue them. Halvor's plan was simple, their prey would most likely split up to explore the valley. They would have a chance to take them down a few at a time. If for some reason they didn't split up, they could intervene right when they attacked the woman they spotted . The unknown element of a surprise attack from the rear should throw them in confusion. Of course if that didn't work, they could always shout a warning like Kirgi suggested. The big knight and the dwarf seemed to dismiss the possibility that they were no match for the knights on equal footing. Their previous victory over them , bolstered their spirits.<p>

As they proceeded further in , they noticed a hidden clearing with what appeared to be a huge war eagle on it. Typical War eagles were not uncommon amongst the dwarves. They were easier to train then griffons, but lacked the killing instinct of their brethren. They were also limited by their weight capacity. Unlike Griffons, their riders had to be very small and wore little or no armor. Also unlike griffons, they could not support normal barding . They were often used as scouts or messengers, and seldom as war mounts. Due to their light load capacity, their civilian uses was severely limited as well. Despite these short comings, they were easy to take care of , and didn't go berzerk at the sight of wounded horses. Most dwarven clans kept several flights of them . The specimen before them was gigantic compated to the more familiar dwarven raised ones. While a typical war eagle was slightly bigger then a horse, this creature was the size of a mammoth. Kirgi had never seen such a creature up close, and wondered where it was from.

"I think that's the creature that was dropping off the loot.", said Halvor as they approached. "Do you know how to ride one ?", the knight asked.

Kirgi shot him a "are you crazy look". " Look , if I was an eagle rider, do you think I'd be hanging out with you guys. Of course I don't know how to ride one. ", the dwarf said angrily.

"Think we should take a closer look...see if it has more treasure? Or keep following those griffon guys ? ", asked the knight deferring to the dwarf's expertise in a skirmish situation.

"Wait...what if the eagle's rider is there...and wants the treasure we recovered back. Technically it does belong to him.", stated the dwarf.

"Unless he stole it, then we have equal rights to it. However if it does belong to him, we can at least negotiate a finders fee. ", the knight replied with a grin.

"By finders fee you mean kick his ass and take the rest of his treasure right?", asked the dwarf happily.

"Errr no...I was thinking 33%. ", Halvor said while looking at the dwarf suspiciously.

"Oh well...let's take a look then. At worst it could be an enemy which we could dispatch , at best it could be an ally. ", sighed the dwarf in disappointment.

* * *

><p>"Is the eagle yours?", asked Kania to the knight as he dressed himself.<p>

"No, I was drugged or knocked out when they strapped me to it I guess.", replied Sarin as he struggled with his armor and clothing while trying to remember the circumstances that got him there. Kania had nursed him back to health while he was unconscious. She healed his wounds easily , but the poison dust in his system resisted her attempts to remove it. While he was unconscious she had apparently only fed him some sort of vegetable base liquid diet. The elf frowned , he figured he must have lost 20 lbs or so during his captivity and convalescence. He took a dagger and stabbed another notch in his belt , hoping he could make up the weight soon.

"I see. Then you will not mind if I free it. Its been severely wounded and maimed. I would not see it return to the brutal life style it lived. ", Kania stated. Sarin of course was more worried about his belt size and waved off her comments.

Although she had offered him a weapon, Sarin declined and dug out a spare spear from his hidden pack. His pack was sewn into the lining of his clothes and enchanted so it radiated little or no magic . He was thankful that his captors had not found it. As Sarin tested his replacement spear, Kania returned with a barbed spear with a darkwood shaft anyways.

"Please accept this as a gift, oh blessed one of Arcturus.", she said while kneeling and presenting him the spear. Sarin felt uncomfortable at the entire scene. It played out similar to the plays he saw where a lady presents a king his shattered weapon or something. Before he examined it , Sarin saw that it was exquisitely crafted and covered in magical runes . He guessed it was some sort of ancient barbarian spear of some sort , and humbly accepted it. She was still his rescuer, and the half elf thought he should at least show her some respect. For a flesh craving lamia , she seemed alright to the paladin. He didn't even rely on his special vision to determine her moral outlook. The paladin learned a long time ago not to rely on such a simplistic technique. The only thing that bothered him was she constantly seemed to smell and take in his aroma, especially when it appeared he wasn't watching.

Sarin examined the spear and confirmed its quality and enchantment. He wasn't sure of its exact origin though, but did notice some Ylarum script on the spear head. Was it from the southern lands he wondered?

As the half elf pondered the weapon. A sudden rustling of birds caught his attention.

"Intruders ...in my woods! " , hissed Kania. She suddenly changed into her true form . A large cat with a woman's body. Sarin was surprised that her simple white robe was replaced by a white metal war harness, that left little to the imagination . She motioned for him to climb on his back, and the paladin reluctantly did. He wasn't sure what to grab a hold of it, and briefly thought of wrapping his arms around her chest, but quickly dismissed the embarrassing idea.

"Grab my mane!", she barked. The half elf wasn't comfortable with that idea either, but took a handful of her long blonde hair in his hands. He gripped it tight, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that it gave his hostess no discomfort.

"Hold on !", Kania cried as she jumped and pounced her way through the sylvan surroundings.

* * *

><p>The Bloodwoods was one of those places where parents threatened to abandon their children when they misbehaved. It was akin to the Arc of Fire, the lost city of Almarath, the Demon Scar, and the ruins outside of Monty Nargar. It was a secluded forest in a low valley on the borders of the Shattered mountains and the lowlands of Northern Grom. It was a hellish environment , complete with poisonous plants, an active volcano, prehistoric animals, polluted rivers, and of course the dreaded Blood elves. These nomadic cannibalistic elven throw backs were the stuff of nightmares. They were more akin to wild beasts then humanoids . When they weren't warring with each other, they were known to make raids into Upper Lueders for slaves and supplies. Emperor Alphonso had tried to eradicate these creatures once, but a two year campaign against shadows proved fruitless and costly. The invading Grommers never lost a single battle during their invasion, but they were unable to locate any of their enemies villages either. It was just a long tiring campaign of attrition. After victory was determined to be impossible, the emperor declared the lands liberated after a meaningless skirmish and quickly withdrew his forces. The blood elves didn't care who won, but the raids continued unabated. Since the Warlord Lueder's failed rebellion and the destruction of Upper Lueders , the raids became rarer, but rumors of missing travelers and caravans were still blamed on the denizens of the Bloodwoods.<p>

Nymk realized her predicament and crept slowly swiftly through the shadows. If she was in the Bloodwoods, the fastest way to civilization was north . She would eventually reach the borders of Lower Lueders or Heldann and could resupply and give a report of her failure then. The raid that happened a few days ago and the loss of the Warmaster's grandson would need to be reported to Grand Champion Erland as soon as possible. Depending on his assessment she would either stay in the north , or go back to Grom City and continue her watch on the tiefling. A small part of her hoped that Sarin was ok, but she knew that it was unlikely. The strike she made on the Eagle's eye would have driven it to a frenzy. If he wasn't scraped off by now, he would probably have died a slow death by starvation or the elements. A tear came to her eye as she considered the brave half elf's fate.

Nymk didn't make much friends in her line of work. Even when she joined the Knights of Winter, she was the outsider of the group. She met many acquaintances but had very few true friends. She didn't know why but she considered Sharliss and Sarin her friends. Maybe it was their easy going accepting natures , the fact they seemed genuinely concerned with her, or maybe that they were competent enough and worldly enough she could relate and share her experiences with. Nymk smiled at the thought of Sharliss's demure but authoritative attitude and Sarin's feigned air of apathy. She was going to miss the pair. With her failure to rescue Sarin, she suspected the priestess would grow much more guarded and cold, she had doubts that Sharliss would be the same after this.

Nymk scowled to herself. She was a warrior of Ethengar and she did not concern herself with the emotions of others. She would exact her revenge on the Griffon knights for their thinly veiled raid. If the Griffon Princess Lionsong was there, she had no doubts that Stormfeather was behind this as well. She would take his life for that of Sarin's. It wasn't a fair exchange, but it was justice of some sort, and that was all that the swords woman could cling to.

As she darted through the woods, she suddenly noticed a commotion ahead. Her keen ears could make out what sounded like the sounds of battle . She had lost her scimitar and three daggers, but she was far from unarmed. She retrieved her bow from a special extra dimensional pocket . It was created for her to store her jewelry and beauty products while she served as a Bride of Boryis, but she found it useful to place weapons in it as well. Placing things in it was easy enough , retrieval was a bit more difficult though. She could place items in it freely, but had to search blindly in it to retrieve it. Items placed near the front of the bag was easy enough to find by touch but items in the back took several minutes to retrieve. Fortunately for her, her bow was always kept in the same spot for easy access.

The swords woman approached the noise, and was surprised to see a large prehistoric creature with a long tail and equally long neck engaged in battle with the errant Griffon Princess that she thought had died. Atop the monster was several lightly armored elves covered in war paint armed with long spears. Nymk considered shooting the princess , but decided to wait. She did not want to reveal herself to these elves, especially if there were others of their kind in the area. She would wait it out. If the Griffon Princess somehow won, she would engage her then. Her decision wasn't heroic, but she wasn't known to seek out straight up fights.

* * *

><p>Lionsong had wandered the woods for a few days now. After the crash , she ingested a few medicinal herbs and was quickly back on her feet. She was a fair tracker and scout on the tundra , but this forest was something she wasn't use to . Lionsong knew she was lost, but at least she wasn't going in circles. She wasn't sure which direction to go, so she chose north. Simply because she knew the tundra was in that direction. She had lost her mace in the fall , but had since found a large knotted log to use as a makeshift club .<p>

During her travels in this prehistoric forest, she had encountered several dire animals which she easily evaded. She also encountered several species of mega lizards that seemed content to ignore her. A pack of smaller bipedal lizards attacked her once, but her club quickly dispatched a few of the beasts and sent them scurrying for easier prey. When she was finding her way out, she encountered a creature that looked like an elf. Not the graceful ice elves of the north that she was accustomed to , but one that was covered in colored muds , and dried blood. She caught him by surprise and dispatched him to question. To her frustration she found they did not share a language they could converse in . The Griffon Princess simply took any useful items he had, and finished him off with her new club .

This action proved to be very foolish in hindsight. Even though she hid the body fairly well, the elves in this forest discovered her presence and had sent several bands of hunters in pursuit of her. She killed a few of her pursuers , hoping to dissuade them like the bipedal lizards , but her actions just seemed to make them more eager and bloodthirsty.

The last few hours she was hunteed by three or four groups of elves riding huge long necked lizard beasts. She thought she had given them the slip but was tracked by one of these monsters. The creature reared up its massive circular feet and tried to stomp her into the ground. Lionsong hopped backwards to avoid the blow, and saw the creature's massive head lunge forwards to snap at her. The griffon princess timed the blow and simply jumped over it, swinging her club as she landed and catching the monster with a solid blow.

The long necked beast bellowed in pain , but seemed unhurt. Lionsong cursed as she realized that besides a huge prehistoric beast, it also had fiendish blood in it. Thus giving it strong protections against mundane weapons. She snarled as she contemplated that her magical mace could have slain the monster , but the barbarian stowaway had cost her that weapon.

As Lionsong cursed her fate, one of the riders stabbed at her with a spear. Lionsong easily batted it away with her club, and the rider barked something at her in the mad elvish language of theirs.

An idea came to the Griffon Princess's head . They were elves and she still had one elf bane pot. It seemed a waste to use this expensive and rare dust on a pair of mere hunters, but Lionsong had few options at that point. She ran to the side of the massive beast and lobbed her last remaining pot at the two riders. Her aim was true as the small clay pot shattered and its contents covered her attackers.

The elves suddenly screamed, but their cries were quickly cut off. Lionsong smiled evilly as she knew their throats were constricting . Soon they would be barely able to breath. Their behemoth mount however , was unaffected by the poison and continued its attack. The griffon princess easily dodged it and sprinted away from its reach. Without its rider the monster quickly lost interest and surprisingly began grazing on the flora around it.

Lionsong wondered if she should retrieve the riders and steal their weapons and supplies. At the very least she could at least kill them. She hated to leave unfinished buisness. As she contemplated her action , her keen senses told her something was wrong. She swiftly rolled forward .

*Thwack*

An arrow flew by where she was a few seconds ago. Lionsong quickly scanned the trajectory of the attack and saw the accursed lithe blond haired barbarian archer.

"Round 3? ", the archer shouted as she quickly took cover behind a tree.

* * *

><p>Kirgi and Halvor carefully approached the resting War Eagle. As they got a clearer look, it was clearly marked as a mount of the Order of the Griffon. It was a massive beast, but it seemed to be missing an eye.<p>

"This creature isn't the one that was dropping the gold. All its saddle bags are present and seem full. ", commented Kirgi as he approached.

"So what's the plan? Maybe those knights were after this guy .", asked the big knight as he deferred to the dwarf. Tactics in large battles were more his specialty , not dealing with huge wounded animals.

"Stay here. It looks docile enough. If I approach it slowly it might not attack. Then I'll get the treasure.", replied the dwarf as he slowly crept closer.

"Wait...aren't we here to determine who owns this bird. To see if he's friend of foe. If we take the gold, I don't think the bird's owners would be too happy or too helpful.", state Halvor as he grasped the dwarf's arm.

Kirgi stood still with a blank look. The dwarf mas motionless except his spinning eyes. Halvor wondered was this what his friend looked like when he was deep in thought. It was something he thought the dwarf seldom did, so he rarely had a chance to observe it.

"Hmmph. I guess you're right. Let's find this bird's rider and see if he will aid us first. If he can't, then we take the treasure. ", replied the dwarf.

"Isn't that ...like banditry? ", the knight asked, but the dwarf shrugged. Adventures, bandits, pirates, criminals...to most of the citizenry of Grom they were all the same thing, and the dwarf's perceptions were no exception.

"Halvor? Kirgi?", came a familiar voice from behind.

The pair spun and was surprised anyone had snuck up to them . Halvor wasn't that perceptive , but he knew the dwarf was . The knight was surprised anyone could approach them unseen or unheard especially the sight that greeted them.

It was Sharliss's half elf body guard Sarin. Or what appeared to be him. The man had a shrunken face and lost a few of his famous "chins" . He apparently seemed to have gone through a harrowing ordeal since last they met. What was more strange was that he was on the shoulders of tall shapely long haired blond woman wearing a white robe. He sat comfortably on her shoulders with his hand wrapped painfully around a lock of hair.

"What are you doing in my valley?", the woman asked in a husky voice, seemingly unencumbered by the still large half elf on her shoulders and the way his hands grasped her hair.

Halvor blinked, and felt a gentle fog drift into his mind. It was as if he just woke up in a field somewhere. His worries seemed to vanish.

"Errr...believe or not, we saw money fall out of the sky. We were just following the trail.", Halvor stated as she shuffled calmly forwards. He wasn't sure why he didn't make up a more plausible lie, but went with the unbelievable truth instead. For some reason Halvor shuffled backwards as she approached, but Kirgi simply stood his ground .The knight saw he did not have his axes out, but his hands were ready to retrieve them.

"Don't worry about these guys. I don't think they are intruders. They mean no ill will.", Sarin said calmly, as he ...dismounted ... from her shoulders.

The woman stopped in front of the dwarf and held her hand out daintly before him. The dwarf shrugged and kissed it . "I am Lady Kania. Your presence is not tolerated here, but since the Blessed of Arcturus seems to know you , I will allow you to leave in peace.", she stated haughtily.

Halvor blinked. He wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Arcturus was one of the many nature goddesses in Grom. Her particular domains were more related to wild beasts then other more primal gods like Nonak. She was known to be a very violent individual , but to the knight's knowledge was not inherently evil. Halvor wasn't sure what being a blessed of Arcturus meant, but she was clearly referring to Sarin.

Sarin saw the knight's inquisitive look and shrugged. "Hey, beats me how I got that title. But everything is cool here. Kania is alright guys.", said the half elf.

Halvor looked at Kirgi who returned a drool filled smile, the dwarf's wariness replaced by a typical dumb dwarf stare. The knight shrugged and approached the odd woman . He took her hand and kissed it and found all thoughts of violence to her quickly dispelled. He admonished himself for being wary of her earlier. As he looked at her, he suddenly thought about Sharliss and he staggered back with his mind clearing . He wasn't sure what happened but he suddenly recalled something important.

"Wait...one more thing. I should have mentioned , we followed a group of knights here. They had weapons drawn and seemed looking for trouble.", replied Halvor wondering what had happened.

As Kania considered his statement, a cry came from the edge of the clearing. A half dozen knights burst through and charged the group with maces ready.

"Capture the abomination! ", they shouted.


	33. Chapter 33

Zax and his fellow tieflings waited in the sewer for the monsters to come. Their foes were horrible nightmarish creatures. They appeared to be some sort of demonic rats. They were the size of bugbears, roughly a little smaller then ogres, and were relentless in attacking. The tiefling knew they were cornered but he was not out of tricks yet.

He always considered himself a resourceful adventurer and prepared for their assault well . He deployed a pair of warforged sentries at the eastern choke point and another pair further behind him. He had Badgerhalfling seal the tunnels leading to the lower levels. That only left one passage for the rats to attack from was the main access tunnel.

As the battle began , the rats assaulted the warforge sentries first. Zax could hear the monster's shrieks as they were shot by the constructs' repeating crossbows. Despite their terrible losses, the rats continued their attack and eventually overwhelmed his sentries. The tiefling was worried after that. If the rats over came the second pair of sentries they would be caught by a two pronged attack. As the furry demons attacked the second set of sentries, Zax hoped they had enough bolts . Although they seemed relentless, the rats finally broke and scattered under the fusillade of fire.

Zax knew that his attackers only had one avenue of attack left . The main sewer access tunnel. The tiefling and his companions readied their weapons for their assault. Zax had his trusty dragon golem ready , the tiefling had slain monsters from one end of Grom to the other with his dangerous and accurate weapon. Birdgirl had a simple sparrow wood crossbow. It was an elegant weapon suited to her slight build. Badgerhalfing had several short spears, that were modified to his height and size. Blackscale used a repeating crossbow similar to the one's the sentries used.

The group waited nervously. Even Zax's zen like calm was unable to settle their nerves. The rats had already killed several of them earlier in an ambush. Devilman had suffered a blow to the head during that attack and was recovering in a rear room, with the young Hush at his side. The group knew they had to hold out, till the dwarf Kirgi returned with the sewer barge Sulaco to retrieve them.

"I don't get it. I can smell them. They should be right in front of us. ", said Badgerhalfling nervously. Zax peered down the slimy corridor and wondered how his short companion could differentiate any scents in this putrid sewer. Still, his odd companion's nose had not failed him before.

"Wait ...", said Zax. "Give me a push up to the secondary sewer duct.", he ordered Blackscale.

Blackscale was nervous but agreed. He pushed their orange leader upwards and the tiefling managed to open the duct.

Zax used his darkvision and peered in the tunnel and was shocked to see the horrid rats crawling through the duct at him. The tiefling quickly jumped down and fired his dragon golem into the roof.

"They're in the ducts! They're in the ducts! ", he shouted as his dragon golem ripped through the bricks and mortar sending rats falling to the ground. The group began firing and throwing their weapons but the rats continued unabated.

"They're coming outta the walls. They're coming outta the goddamn walls. Let's book! ", cried Blackscale.

"Fall back !", cried Zax as he saw they would soon be overwhelmed.

The formerly nervous and cowardly Blackscale did not hear Zax it seemed. After being pushed to the edge by the rats , the scaled tiefling finally snapped. "Come on! Come on! Come and get it, baby! Come on! I don't got all day! Come on! Come on! Come on you bastard! Come on, you too! Oh, you want some of this? Fuck you! ", cried the horned tiefling as he began to go berserk with his repeating crossbow. As the rest of the group retreated, Zax saw the brave tiefling slay a half dozen rats. Unfortunately one of the creatures he shot was too close, and it sprayed the tiefling and dissolved him with its terrible acidic blood.

* * *

><p>"Wait..wait ..wait ", said Sharliss in disbelief.<p>

Zax and the other tavern patrons gave her an annoyed look.

"Yes? I'm in the middle of a story here.", replied Zax.

" The rats had acid for blood? Blackscale was dissolved? That's impossible. I met him at the Freedom for tieflings meeting. Where did those warforged come from? And how did I ...er this Hush...end up in your story by Devilman. You make it sound like she's a little girl ! ... and what the hell is sparrow wood? Did you make that all up? ",the exasperated Sharliss asked.

Zax gave her a cold look. "Can I continue with my tale? I was just getting to the good part , where I rescued you from the Rat Queen by hopping into an iron golem. You probably don't recall that due to trauma. Now if you don't want any nightmares from my tale , I suggest you scoot back to your table , old woman. ", he said much to the delight of the crowd.

Sharliss wanted to yell at him, but the angry looks of Zax's audience silenced her. She marched back to her table and sat angrily down with a plump woman and Darwen.

"From the way Lilithy told that story. He fought like five rats , the size of cats in the sewer. Not this nonsense of a tide of man sized demon rats with acid for blood. ", huffed the youthful priestess who appeared to be an older matron. It was one of her guises on the road. Today she altered Isula's and her own appearance to appear as an older woman and her sister. Simple travelers on the road.

The disguised plump Isula shrugged at her companion's distress and pointed at her mug to a waitress. The waitress smiled and quickly gave her another drink.

"Oh, Zax has a way of exaggerating things. I thought you would know that by now. ", stated Darwen in the most subdued way she could. The elf tried not to laugh but a grin broke through her calm visage.

"Well he's a hero, I expect some exaggeration, but the tale he's telling is borderline lies.", huffed Sharliss shrilly.

Darwen couldn't help herself anymore and giggled abruptly. She wondered how anyone who had any association with Zax didn't realize he was narcissistic and delusional. She looked at the orange tiefling and his audience then smiled. He wasn't harming anyone and his tales did bring some cheer to the crowd at the road side inn. Grom knows they need it with the very real threats of giants, gnomes, and knights over everyone's head. What's one tall tale when faced with the bleak grimness of reality.

"Maybe we should concentrate on our task at hand. From our maps and talking with the locals, we should be at BarkWark soon. ", stated the elf as she attempted to steer the conversation away from Zax.

Sharliss's calm demeanor returned and she nodded in agreement. "Yes. That's a good idea. The Grommers keep a careful eye and records on the docks of Grom City. Mainly for their desire to tax and tariff as much as possible. It would have been impossible to find a boat to take us to Narwhal hold from there without being discovered. However , things are much ...looser...in BarkWark. As you know , that is where the majority of the Grommish Privateers and freelancers call their home. Also the elves and half elves that reside there live under Grom rule, mostly by name only. They are a very independent lot and I believe we shall have no problem procuring transportation there.", explained the priestess.

The group managed to exit the Grom City relatively easily. Zax had already spread the word that he wanted to go to Irendi before Sharliss had asked him for his assistance. It seemed plausible enough that they would take the scenic route through the pastoral and picturesque Grommish Country side to BarkWark first. With a few modifications to Sharliss's wagon they seemed well on their way. Even though they were stopped at the Southern Gate, a brief inspection of their wagon proved fruitless for the guards. The wagon's pocket dimensions were a perfect place for the giant and priestess to hide. Sharliss initially had doubts about this plan, stating time as a major concern, but the tiefling assured her that his plan was sound.

"Do we have enough funds for this? Sarin has all the cash I believe.", asked Isula . Darwen was surprised from her question, not because it was an insightful one, but because she thought the small white haired girl wasn't paying attention.

"Money..money will be tight. I plan on selling some of my jewels and valuables when we reach BarkWark. This is my expedition, I do not expect any of you to assist in this. The aid you have provided so far is more then I can ask for. ", the priestess said with an uneasy smile.

Darwen nodded and wished she could contribute more. Of the four of them, she knew Zax was the only one with significant funds, and she highly doubt he would volunteer it. In fact, she thought he would be overjoyed if their quest failed due to lack of funds. Since he could claim he had helped, but still manage to avoid any danger. She sighed . Darwen knew he had a good and brave heart, he just needed to be steered in the right direction occasionally.

"Will we recruit a 5th person when we arrive to BarkWark or recruit another when we reach Narwhal hold?", asked Isula again.

"A 5th? Why do we need a 5th ?", asked Sharliss.

"Well this is a quest if I ever saw one. Normally you have a fighting type. That role would be filled by Darwen and myself . An arcane type, again Darwen and myself. A divine healer of some sort. Clearly that is you lady Sharliss. Finally a rogue type. Good at stealth, scouting, and extra damage dealing.", explained Isula in a confident tone.

Sharliss nodded, she had never officially adventured or quested before , but she had been surrounded by them her whole life. As well as close proximity she also aided them several times, and she understood what Isula had said. "I'm not sure if Zax and Darwen will accompany us that far. However for now I thought Zax would be considered our ...scout type. ", she said while choosing her words carefully. A rogue can be a useless addition to the group or the most valuable member depending on the situation that arose. Most successful adventurer bands had a troubleshooter specialist just in case. Even her father's group had her mother, which Sharliss considered the most skill rogue ever , despite her mother's protest to that title.

Isula shook her head, "A rogue has to be sneaky . Have you ever seen Zax sneak around?"

"Errr...no...come to think of it. He likes to hide , but he's not that good at it. ", agreed Sharliss reluctantly.

"Is he good with traps? or mechanical devices? ", asked the disguised plump woman.

"Not to my knowledge.", answered the disguised older woman.

"If he's not sneaky or mechanically inclined, a rogue should at least be skilled as a skirmisher. Perhaps not engaging in heavy combat, but proficient enough to turn the tide of battle with damaging vital strikes. Have you seen Zax do that? His tale against the acid blooded rats does not count. ", continued Isula.

Sharliss thought hard. He only saw Zax in battle a few times. Once against a troll, which she had held with magic. Once against the ogre mage, which was mostly killed by Dragon's Flame and Isula. Once against the the boar lord, which was almost certainly slain by the artifact blade and finally against the hag who had tried to take her hostage. She heard that he defeated a griffon knight in royal court, but she wondered how much of that was true. She looked at the story telling Zax and wondered if she had misjudged him . Ever since he rescued her from the Hag of Myleka she always viewed him in awe as a hero . Briefly , in her youthful exuberance, she even hoped to have a romantic relationship with him, but that did not turn out . Was she foolish to place so much trust in him all this time? Sharliss shook her head and dispelled her own doubts. Zax was a hero, she knew it with every fiber of her being.

"Zax has other important qualities. " , defended Darwen . Isula drank her beer and grinned awaiting a more elaborate response.

"He's brave when it counts. He's fearless when his friends are in danger. And of course, he's good at handling the paper work . We wouldn't be at this tavern if it weren't for him . The first guard patrol we met would have sent us back to the capital if it weren't for him. He might not fill one of the traditional adventuring roles ...fighter, cleric, thief, wizard...but he has a lot to offer us.", the elf stated proudly.

Isula raised her glass to the elf's staunch reply and drained the rest of her mug.

* * *

><p>"Stand behind me blessed one. ", lady Kania ordered. "You shall not have him! ", she roared at the Griffon knights.<p>

The knights did not slow their advance as they marched methodically towards the group. Four of them had maces and shields at the ready. Two appeared to be in robes , one was carrying a symbol of Nirrodin proudly, while the last had a staff covered with arcane runes.

The knight with the staff struck the ground, and the earth began rumbling. The one with the symbol uttered a prayer and their band glowed briefly in a white aura.

"Priest is mine. ", grinned Kirgi as he fired his crossbow. Even though four of the shield carrying knights formed a wall in front of him. The dwarf's shot was true. It streaked through the legs of the front knights and struck the cleric square in the knee. The main yelled in pain and dropped to the ground.

"Guess, he's not going to be an adventurer from now on. Maybe become a guard if he's lucky and survive this. ", the dwarf chuckled as he dropped his crossbow and circled wide to the left.

Despite Kania's warning , Sarin gripped his new spear and strode forwards to engage their front ranks. He wasn't sure why they wanted him, but he had enough . They wanted a fight it seems and the half elf was happy to oblige.

Halvor was a bit hesitant at first, but quickly followed Sarin in his charge. He gauged that the warriors in front of him were more armored then the halfelf or himself , but he figured he could break their ranks with a few well place strokes with his axe. He knew they were outnumbered but hope to shatter their ranks swiftly. As Halvor advanced a piercing shriek came behind him. The big knight felt something large crash down towards him, and he barely managed to hop to the side before a talon struck where he was. The knight's brow furrowed as he guessed the knights still had control over their injured war eagle.

Kania's white robe swiftly turned to a white steel battle harness. Kirgi glanced at it , and thought it belonged more on an exotic dancer then a warrior . Despite her appearance, a scimitar and shield shimmered into existence into her hands. She twirled them to test their balance and with unmatched speed leaped into the fray over Sarin's head.

* * *

><p>"I see you survived the fall. ", said Lionsong calmly as she circled her bow wielding foe. She made sure to impose as much vegetation between herself and the archer, but left enough room to charge in case an opening presented itself.<p>

"As did you , Princess Lionsong.", replied the swords woman, who calmly waited for a clear shot. The Griffon Princess knew the archer had the advantage currently but that would all change if they closed to melee.

"I am at a disadvantage. I do not know your name. Wait...you're the Emerald Arbiter aren't you? That would explain your involvement with the abomination. You want to use it as a pawn for your Squirrel masters , don't you? I would have identified you earlier, but I thought you would be much taller.", laughed the Princess.

"I am Khongorzul Nymk of the tribes of the Diamond Khan. Do not think I am like yourself. I would never use Sarin as a pawn. ", she said calmly .

"Oh ...you're on a first name basis with the beast? Do I detect a hint of longing in your voice? Wait...you two aren't romantically linked are you? That would be a gross violation of professional conduct for an Arbiter as well as the laws of nature . Not to mention disgusting to say the least. How could you even withstand his gross bulk?", Lionsong asked with a sarcastic laugh.

Lionsong noted an uncomfortable pause from her opponent. She grinned evilly as she knew she hit close to home with her barb . The Griffon Princess happily pressed her advantage, "Oh it must be terrible for you. To love a creature that would no doubt devour you on a whim. He's more fit to be a warmount then a mate I think. It doesn't surprise me though, I heard of knights that are more in love with their mounts then their own spouses. I can understand that at least, they share a battle bond with each other. The abomination and you however , that I don't understand. Do you make good sandwiches or something ? Surely its not due to your abilities to couple together. Wait...aren't you a bride of Boryis or something ? That would explain your attraction to the obscene and the filthy. ", taunted Lionsong merrily.

The griffon princess could tell her opponent was enraged. She would present a slight target , she would fire in her anger, then she would rush her. It would be over soon.

"I would not be one talk . I know a little of yourself as well. You're known as Lionsong the fierce, Lionsong the strong, and Lionsong the beautiful. It must be a wonder to live a pampered life as a princess, with half your realm's knight willing to sacrifice themselves for you to win your favor.", laughed Nymk.

"Please...try a little harder with the taunts. ", yawned the Princess.

"I wonder though. What your people will do when you bear Felwind an heir. Could they really rally behind a child born from brother and sister? ", Nymk spoke icily.

Lionsong stopped. A red rage over took her as she smashed the vegetation in front of her. The archer waited for a good shot before firing , and the arrow struck Lionsong directly in the chest. The Griffon Princess ignored the deadly wound and charged her opponent. Her prey was quick and tried to flip to the side, but Lionsong was quicker. Her mace swung through the air and caught her on the lower left back. The smaller woman crumpled to the ground with a pained gasp, as the enraged princess prepared to finish her off.

* * *

><p>Kirgi was much faster then people gave him credit for. Before the priest could heal the arrow lodged in his knee, the dwarf darted into the fray and chopped at his hand with his deadly war axe. The weapon easily severed the man's fingers, causing him to lose contact with his holy symbol. The man begged for mercy , and in most cases the dwarf would have granted it. However with the six knights and the eagle their band of four was outnumbered almost three to one. Kirgi was never good at math , but knew he could afford no chances in this battle. The dwarf stamped his food down on the man's squirming head and chopped his axe through his neck. A swift death was all the dwarf could grant him.<p>

As the dwarf withdrew his weapon he noticed the knight with the staff cackle with an unnatural almost supernatural voice. A creature made of earth and stone rose from the earth and grabbed the tall shapely woman in the exotic entertainer armor. The woman struggled and thrashed in its grip , but it smashed her into the ground with a thunderous thudd. The action seemed to distress the half elf though, but he was busy with his own battle. He was encircled by the four knights and exchanged blows with them. Two were already badly injured by his spear, but they managed to surround the fat body guard none the less. Kirgi knew that the spear was a deadly weapon one on one or amassed in ranks, but loss much of its advantage when its user was penned in and unable to use its reach to his advantage. Kirgi stopped and looked for his friend Halvor. He initially charged with Sarin at the knights, but he saw the Great Eagle was angrily clawing and pecking the man.

Kirgi looked at the battlefield and briefly considered running while his opponents were preoccupied. The dwarf knew he gave a brave front, but deep down he wasn't that heroic at all. He definitely thought he had the skills but not the will to be a hero , otherwise he would have been an adventurer or even a soldier. Instead he was just a lowly caravan guard. Not that he didn't want to aspire to something greater, but he knew he could not do it alone. That's why he followed Zax so closely. Just to hang on his coat tails and maybe have some of his bravery rub off on him. Although he acted like it was his big opportunity when Zax left, he knew that a life of monotony was all that awaited him. Despite the treasures he gained, it was action and adventure he craved. Something hard to achieve without the prerequisite bravery that was required.

As the dwarf considered leaving, a woman's angry cry came from behind him. He glanced and saw that the tall woman was incredibly not dead yet. She kicked and struggled against the much larger elemental, but the creature had her pinned with one hand, while smashing her repeatedly with the other. Kirgi didn't know how she survived but he found himself shamed. For some reason, even though they just met, Kirgi thought of her as a close dear friend. This woman was still struggling against the huge rock monster , even though she had no chance. Her bravery shamed the dwarf who contemplated running away. Kirgi stopped and decided enough was enough. Here was his big chance, a battle that would make his idol Zax proud. He would defeat these villains or go down swinging.

Kirgi threw his hand axe at the staff wielding knight. The man saw the clumsy attack and easily waved his hand and deflected the whirling weapon with an unseen force. As the man began to taunt his enemy, he blinked and saw that the dwarf was gone. Suddenly a sharp pain to his back , told him that his nimble foe somehow got behind him. Most likely when he was distracted by the smaller axe. As the mage knight struggled to intone another spell, the dwarf picked the man up and sent him crashing down on his stone hard knee. A sharp crack broke through the clearing , causing everyone except the eagle to pause. Kirgi tossed the broken wizard casually to the side and retrieved the great axe at his back, it was not his favorite weapon but it could do the job. The elemental that was summoned suddenly stopped in its tracks and wavered in its attacks. The priestess seized the opportunity and dispelled it with a word.

After dismissing her giant attacker, Lady Kania hopped back to her feet and struck at the knights engaging Sarin. With the death of their priest and mage, the knights were on the defensive , and quickly fell back to regroup from their new attacker. Sarin took advantage of their broken circle and skewered a retreating knight. The man was surprised at the strength of his blow and was dragged forwards and to the ground as the half elf withdrew his spear. As he struggled to rise, Sarin stomped him in the back with his huge foot , crushing the life out of him.

Halvor fought a defensive battle against the giant eagle. He swept his axe in large wide arcs to keep the monster at bay. He occasionally struck an errant claw or beak, but the massive monster seemed to be toying with him. The big knight knew he would lose at this rate. The axe swings would slowly tire him and the Eagle could rip him apart when he fatigued. He looked at the handkerchief tied to his axe and knew he had to risk it all if he was to survive this. He took a step backwards , and the eagle advanced as predicted. As the eagle advanced Halvor reversed his step and leaped at his foe. He attacked the eagle from the side of its pierced eye , hoping to be shielded by its blind spot, and managed a mighty side slash to the creature . Despite the force of his blow , and the shredded bones and feathers it caused, the eagle retaliated in force. It clawed Halvor and pecked him with its steel hard beak. The knight was tossed to the side bleeding profusely, but he swiftly got back to his feet, ready to attack again.

Halvor knew he would be victorious or dead from his next attack. He roared and charged the eagle while it screeched and rushed forwards. Right before it reached him, the eagle flapped its wings in pain and confusion. Halvor took advantage of this opening and slammed his axe into the monsters neck. The bird thrashed and buffeted him heavily with its wings, but it quickly lost its strength as it collapsed to the ground in a heap.

"I think we're eating chicken tonight. ", smiled Kirgi as he emerged behind the Eagle with a bloodied great axe.

* * *

><p>Lionsong dropped her mace , and grasped the wounded archer by her hair . She twisted her short golden mane and smashed her face into a tree. Staggered and bloodied , the archer stumbled backwards. The Griffon princess then grasped the stunned woman by the neck, lifted her up and slammed her into the ground. The smaller woman flopped like a rag doll on the forest floor, but Lionsong did not release her grip. She poured her strength into the woman's vulnerable neck, slowly squeezing the breath and life out of her .<p>

The archer gasped for air, but found none. She rolled her eyes as she tried to remain conscious from the Griffon Princess's unearthly strength. Although she wasn't strong as her brother Iceclaw , Lionsong still had the power of an ogre. She thought it wouldn't be long till she choked the life out of her impudent foe.

"Where's your smart mouth now bitch? Say something witty for me?", she yelled at her helpless and dieing prey.

Suddenly the smaller woman's leg hooked around her attacker's neck, while her other leg pressed and locked into the first one. The archer's knee pressed into Lionsong's throat, while it formed a triangle with the interlocking leg. Their roles suddenly switched and the Griffon Princess gasped for air and released her hold on the archer involuntarily. She tried to pull the smaller woman's choking legs apart put her strength was rapidly dwindling.

"All power , no technique. No wonder no one votes for you guys in the assembly. ", spat the smaller archer as she reveled in the reversal of fortunes.

Liongsong struggled but could not pull the submission lock apart. She had never really practiced such techniques, relying mostly on her raw power when engaged in hand to hand combat. She regretted her lack of training as the smaller woman slowly but surely choked her.

As the much larger raven hair woman hunched over and grew weaker, she suddenly growled and attempted a final move. She gripped the smaller woman's legs firmly and stood straight up. This of course caused greater strain on her neck, but she only maintained her stance briefly. She then smashed her opponent down onto the ground like a battering ram. The strike surprised and stunned the archer but she did not release her grip. The larger woman sensed that her tactic had worked so tried it again. This time , before her blow was completed, the smaller woman released her grip, and flipped back out of her range.

Lionsong gasped for air, but was quickly struck by a kick to the midsection. She staggered back , grabbing her stomach in pain, but her attacker did not relent. Another kick to the side sent her reeling away in pain. As the archer pressed her attack, the Griffon Princess swung wildly at her attacker. Whether it was her long reach , or just plain luck. The heavy blow connected to the smaller woman's jaw, sending her crashing to the side.

Lionsong looked at her foe , and despite the arrow in her chest and the battering she took , was prepared to finish her off. The look of her opponent told her that she was prepared to do the same. As the pair readied themselves for the next their clash. An elven arrow streaked overhead.

Guttural Elvish voices from the distance told the pair that the Bloodelf hunters had finally found them.

The two glared angrily at each other. Both asking themselves if they could finish off her hated foe before the elves arrived.

* * *

><p>"Wow Kirgi. You kicked butt.", said Halvor in surprise.<p>

Kirgi puffed his chest in pride as he surveyed the damage he caused. Not only did he slayed the priest and the wizard, but he disrupted the elemental which allowed Lady Kania to assist Sarin , and he injured the Eagle which allowed Halvor to finish it. The dwarf easily considered himself the MVP of that exchange.

Sarin nodded, as he examined the slain knights. "Yeah, I didn't think you had it in you Kirgi. Even if I was at 100% , four knights would be a problem . You showed some pretty slick moves there."

Kirgi grinned, although Sarin was just a body guard, the dwarf always suspected he was a former adventurer of some sort. By the way he handled himself in this battle , he just confirmed his suspicions.

"So why are those guys after you? and is Sharliss ok?", asked Halvor to the half elf.

"I don't know...on both counts. I was hoping you were able to provide me some answers. That's why I thought you were here.", replied a frustrated Sarin.

"No...we were here to collect treasure. There was a fight between some griffons and this eagle here. They were dropping loot in their wake. We were just picking it up. ", explained a slightly embarrassed Halvor.

"You guys saved my life . If you didn't intervene , I'm pretty sure I would be captured and Lady Kania slain. You can have my share. ", the half elf said to Kirgi's delight.

Lady Kania bristled at the suggestion she was losing the battle against the elemental , but nodded politely at Halvor and Kirgi. "I appreciate the aid as well. If the chosen of Arcturus deems you worthy of a reward, you can have my share of the gold as well.", she said with barely veiled menace in her voice.

Despite Kirgi's love of treasure the dwarf could not bring himself to take her share. In fact he considered giving his share to her. Without voicing his plan he happily began retrieving the Eagle's saddle bags, and dividing the treasure to those that he felt wanted it.

"You're welcome to come with us Sarin. We can always use another guard. We're heading to Lower Lueders, but we'll be heading back to Grom City afterwards ...as soon as possible. ", offered the big knight.

Sarin looked at him suspiciously and wondered the reason for his haste. He then spotted the handkerchief tied to his axe, and chuckled to himself. He wanted to proceed immediately to Grom City, but knew that would be unwise. Traveling through the monster infested mountains was dangerous enough, but if more Griffon's knights were after him it would be suicide. Best to travel in a group till he could sort things out.

Lady Kania stopped and breathed the half elf's scent again. His aroma seemed to cast her into some sort of euphoric haze. Kirgi looked at Sarin , and his suspicions of his adventuring background was confirmed. Adventurers always got the babes.

"Blessed of Arcturus , I have but one request for you before you leave.", she asked with her eyes closed still enjoying his scent.

"Eh? What can I do you?", the half elf asked.

"Please couple with me so I can bear your child.", she stated simply.

All three coughed and choked at her wild forward suggestion.

"You see Halvor..you see...This is why we need to be adventurers! ", declared Kirgi while waving his hands wildly at his surprised friend.


	34. Chapter 34

Sarin raised an eyebrow to Kania. He was unsure whether to laugh or shake his head in disappointment.

"Look lady. first off , we just met. Secondly, I'm still not sure if I'm this Bozo of Arcturus you're talking about. Finally , I'm guessing you get pretty lonely living in this valley by yourself. So I'm not gonna take advantage of a crazy woman with cabin fever. ", declared the half elf.

Kirgi dropped his jaw in disbelief. "What are you saying! She wants you ..she wants you bad...go bang her brains out! ", the dwarf pleaded crudely.

"Oh and fourth...can you drop the enchantment on the dwarf. I know that's what you people do...but its considered an attack or at best just plain rude", the half elf said with crossed arms.

The disguised Lamia blinked her eyes in surprise . She did not think her deception would be so easily discovered. She reluctantly sighed and waved her hands, and the dwarf stumbled a bit.

Kirgi felt odd. He wasn't sure what happened but he felt his mind was tampered with. He didn't like the fact he was compelled to give up his treasure, but he did appreciate the fact he was inspired to fight instead of run away. The dwarf wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing he had been under some sort of glamor .

"I have done what you asked. Will you consider my request now?", Lady Kania asked.

"Ummm...let me think about it...NO! ", the half elf declared, it was bad enough there were stories circulating about him sleeping with demon and devil women, he wasn't going to add lamia to the list.

Kania was shocked at the half elf's direct answer . She swiftly turned away and slumped her shoulders in defeat. Her head bowed low with shame.

Sarin seemed proud of his declaration, but saw that the woman was deeply hurt by his refusal. Immediately he regretted the way he delivered his statement. Lady Kania had rescued him, nursed him to health, and even defended him. She did not deserve such a blunt rejection.

"Let me explain...errr...I'm a paladin. We aren't known to fool around. ", explained the half elf weakly.

"Its true! Sarin hangs around will all sorts of babes...but he doesn't touch them. Or at least I don't think he does. He might have a vow of Chasity or sumthin...you know ..the no sex monk thing. ", added the still confused dwarf.

Kania gazed at the now embarrassed Sarin. "Vow of Chasity? Babes? You deal personally with children ? ",questioned the Lamia.

Sarin shot an angry look at Kirgi when his manhood was questioned. The dwarf quickly explained, " Err...on second thought the vow of Chasity is a monk thing...I think. When I mean babes... I mean attractive nubile women. Sarin has them hanging around him all the time. The lovely Heiress Sharliss, her attractive tom boy maid Nymk, even that youthful giant midget Isula. Oh oh and lets not forget Zax's girlfriend Darwen. Don't give me that look , I've seen you two talk all the time while with the caravan and at the bar. Anyways, he has all these chicks around him, but I don't know if he's even attracted to them. Petrus and I have a bet on his orientati...OWWWW", cried the dwarf as Halvor struck him from behind.

"You do not like females? I can alter my appearance and assume slightly different forms, but I am not comfortable while appearing as male. ", replied Kania , who seemed more amused and playful then actually serious.

Sarin of course did not enjoy the humor at his expense. "Wait.. I like girls. I just try to be discreet. ", stammered the paladin.

"Sharliss ? Of course not...Isula...too young ? ...Darwen?...nah never figured you for a backstabber...Nymk?...oh its Nymk right? I'm right aren't I ? ...OWWWWWW", yelped the dwarf as Halvor struck him again.

"Ok, enough of these schoolyard games. Thank you for your assistance Lady Kania, but we must be off if we are to catch up to our companions. ", Halvor stated abruptly, much to the relief of Halvor.

The dwarf rubbed his head and finished packing his loot, leaving a pile for Lady Kania regardless if she wanted it or not. Sarin discussed his situation with Halvor who seemed to react to it with concern. Was Sharliss safe? Should he head back to Grom City right away? The pair debated their course of action, and it was decided to head to Lower Lueders first before deciding a further plan. They were almost at their destination , and it would be unwise to risk the pass again with the threat of the Griffon knights in the area.

As the three companions prepared to leave the canyon, Lady Kania approached them wearing a heavy cloak while carrying a large pack on her shoulders and a large flask of water at her side.

"We should be good Lady Kania. No need to guide us any further or provide us with supplies. ", explained Halvor curious at her new attire.

"I do not plan on guiding you, I plan on following you. If the blessed of Arcturus does not accept me as a mate, then he can accept me as a guardian. ", she stated in a commanding voice.

Sarin rolled his eyes. What would Nymk say if she saw this.

* * *

><p>The pair of warriors looked at each other warily. Regardless of the amount of hatred between them, they both feared and hated the Bloodelves more. If they killed each other at least that would be the end of it. If they were defeated by the blood elves things would be much worse. Both had heard tales of the atrocities and outrages they performed on their prisoners and defeated foes. Food for their captors were their most likely fate. Mental , physical and spiritual torture were awaiting them if they were unlucky. Mutilations, amputations, and forced impregnation awaited them if the wilder stories were true . Even death was no escape from the blood elves. Horrible legends of their mastery of necromancy were prevalent amongst adventurers . Eternal undead servitude to the evil masters of the Bloodwoods were one of their possible fates. The pair paused from their battle and quickly agreed to an unspoken truce.<p>

A massive tri horned grey beast with a crest of bone surrounding his upper neck , charged out of the heavy woods. On its back were four lightly armored elves , equipped with bows and spears. The riders and the beast were all painted in war paint, that gave them a ghostly motif. Adorning the monster were the various skulls , and assorted bones of their numerous victims.

Nymk scrambled for her fallen bow, while Lionsong fled deeper into the undergrowth. The smaller swords woman knew they wouldn't fight the elves together, but was glad at least the Griffon Princess allowed her to fight them in peace. An arrow grazed Nymk in the leg as she retrieved her weapon and she quickly snapped a shot at the beast . She wanted to strike an elf, but they were hidden carefully behind the massive armored crest. The arrow she fired struck the beast an inch below its eye. The monster's thick bone plates easily deflected the shot as it continued its angry charge.

Nymk grimaced at her shot's results as she dodged behind a tree. Arrows struck the position she occupied mere seconds before , as the swords woman took cover. As she readied her next attack, the monster crashed into her sturdy cover. A loud series of crackings shook the forest , as her tree was smashed by the horned monster. Nymk barely managed to flip out of the way before arrows and spears struck her. As she leaped through the air, she twisted mid flight and impossibly managed to fire another arrow. This time her shot was aimed at the elves on the beast. It was a much difficult shot then her first, but the elf knew striking the monster was useless. Either through great skill or luck her arrow found its mark and struck a spearman in the arm . He howled in fury, more from shock of her arrow hitting then in pain , Nymk noted grimly.

The swords woman knew she was on the defensive and needed to counter attack before her enemies blows connected. As she landed from her last flip she leaped towards the massive beast, catching it and the riders by surprise. She tumbled through their spears and rolled to the side of the monster, buying herself a few seconds before the war beast wheeled to face her. She quickly shot the same spear man , lodging an arrow into his throat. The elf looked angry at her attack but gurgled in impotence before falling off his mount. The swords woman then ducked as the beast she was adjacent to swept its mighty horns at her. Nymk managed to barely avoid them before rolling temporarily out of range of her attackers.

As the swords woman looked for her next opportunity to counter attack, she suddenly felt a burning feeling in her leg. She cursed as she knew exactly what it was before examining it.

"Poison! ", she gasped to herself as her normally fluid movements were reduced to a stumble. The elves took advantage of her miss step and closed in on the swords woman. Nymk's stumbling momentum caused her to crash to the side, but the skilled archer managed to bring another shot into her attackers as she fell. An arrow struck one of the archers in the chest , and the elf gave a high pitched scream. Nymk blinked and thought it might have been a woman he struck, but she wasn't sure from the elves's generally androgynous appearance. The swords woman grinned as her attackers bore down on her, she chastised herself for thinking such trivial thoughts as her doom bore down on her.

Before the monster collided with her, a large raven hair woman crashed through the canopy and jumped into the air at the remaining elves. Her flight managed to tackle the elf driver. The smaller spear carrying elf was easily knocked to the ground by the much larger and muscular woman. Lionsong held the skinny elf down with her hand , before smashing his face with her make shift wooden club.

As the driver was thrown off, the three horned beast reared its head in surprise. The creature changed velocity and trajectory slightly allowing the poisoned Nymk to stumble to the side, barely evading the charging monster. She took the opportunity to fumble through her pack to retrieve and drink one of her last vials of healing.

The remaining elven archer fired an arrow at Lionsong, but the Griffon Princess rolled away before the attack struck. The arrows instead struck the elf whose face was smashed , and he writhed in pain from the strike. The club wielding woman attempted to scrambled away, as the three horned beast lashed at her, but she moved too slow and a sharpened horn slashed her side . She roared in pain as she stumbled away , barely managing to hide behind a tree in the process. The remaining elf and the warmount stomped through the woods , unhindered by trees and obstructions . The last elf was not as proficient as guiding the monster but managed to finally turn it around for another rush.

As the two warrior women awaited the next exchange, the weight of the wounds bore down on them. Although Nymk's wounds were healed slightly , the poison was still in her system . Her leg was numb, and she knew she wouldn't be able to dodge. Lionsong on the other hand , bled profusely from the horn and from the arrow she took previously from Nymk. Despite her wounds, she stood defiant and awaited for the next attack. The smaller swords woman knew it was all adrenaline at this point that kept the larger woman standing. She would soon succumb to the severity of her injuries.

"Lionsong, catch!", barked Nymk as she threw her last healing vial at the Griffon Princess.

The larger woman easily caught the vial. She did not acknowledge Nymk or examine its contents, but quickly drank it instead. Her badly wounded side mended magically , as she prepared for the next attack.

Almost immediately the triple horned monster and its remaining elf rider crashed through the forest again. As Nymk waited for a target , she spotted a distortion in the woods moving to flank their position. She wasn't sure if it was friend or foe, but assumed it was an enemy from its movements.

Nymk reacted by reflex. Despite the poison in her leg, she leaped at Lionsong with a final burst of strength and managed to push her to the side , before a bolt of lighting struck her down. The smaller woman felt the electricity engulf her but twisted and rolled instinctively away. Miraculously evading the magical attack. The elven wizard or shaman that launched the attack briefly became visible, but vanished again before anyone could attack him or her.

Once again Lionsong did not acknowledge Nymk's action, but instead focus on the charging monster. She ran towards the charging beast seemingly in an attempt to suicide herself before it. At the last moment she dropped her club and grabbed both of the creature's sharp horns with her mailed hands. She exerted her strength and leaned into the savage monster , and flipped herself upwards with use of its horns. Although weakened by the poison, and her vision was beginning to blur, Nymk saw enough that she was in awe of the larger woman as she gracefully flipped through the air above the monster, before crashing heavily onto its back. The archer wasn't sure if Lionsong connected with the archer, as the view was partially obscured by the monster's crest and her eyes began to tear up and swell.

As Nymk pondered the success of the attack , a dark aura appeared before her. She tried to evade it , but her body failed her . She only managed a few labored steps before dark tentacles exploded out of the ground around her. An evil appendage easily grasped her arm and pinned it behind her back. The swords woman gasped in surprise as another tentacle encircled her waist, lifting her into the air. Nymk kicked weakly at the tentacle with her good leg, and was rewarded by it slamming her into the ground. The battered woman was gripped in panic as more tentacles erupted from the ground and wrapped around her head and throat. Nymk uncharacteristically squealed in pain, and the swords woman immediately regretted her lapse. She knew her chances of escaping the Bloodwoods was close to zero, but she did not want her foes to remember her shrieking in terror in her last moments.

The swords woman calmed herself and sought a moment of calm before the tentacle storm. She approached the grasping appendages as simply ropes and tried to squirm or squeeze herself out of them. Nymk was greatly skilled against inanimate bonds , a product of being a Bride of Boryis and from her roguish background. To her surprise , after a brief moment of struggle, she managed to flex her arm, expand chest and abdomen then quickly collapse them all , thus gaining a brief moment of slack from the tentacles . She took advantage of this situation and amazingly squirmed and scrambled out of the the tentacled mass. Despite her poisoned wound, she was able to summon enough strength to scramble out of the mess before the tentacles grappled her again.

Nymk recalled that whatever magic summoned these foul appendages, thankfully did not give them mobility. Nymk rejoiced as she found herself on the edge of the tentacle pit, the dark limbs straining to grasp her like an attack dog on a chain.

"Not so fast.", a voice said in rough common. A shamanic elf dressed in war paint, bones , and feathers appeared in front of her. He sneered at the exhausted swords woman and disdainfully kicked her back into the tentacle mass. Nymk thrashed weakly as she was engulfed and entwined again by the dark feelers.

"Speak for yourself.", said a husky voice behind the elf. The elf turned in surprise , but was knocked senseless by a hard fist. He fell forwards and landed in the grasping tentacles. He was in too much of a daze to dispel his own spell, and was quickly over powered by the squirming mass.

Lionsong looked at the two bound victims in front of her, both were slowly being squeezed and crushed to the death by the dark mass. She walked forwards defiantly in the mass and was herself assaulted by the tentacles. They wrapped and entwined her, but the powerful and strong Griffon Princess seemed not to notice them. She grabbed a handful of Nymk's short blond hair and pulled the barely conscious swords woman out of the grasping prison.

Nymk coughed and spitted as she attempted to thank her rescuer. Unlike Lionsong , she was taught to be respectful to those that aid her. As she struggled with her words, a hard mailed fist smashed into her face. Sending her blissfully into unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>Petrus was less concerned with the bags of treasure then the people that returned with Halvor and Kirgi. The half elf he had encountered before, and was not overly surprised by his presence. The summoner suspected he was more then a mere body guard to the disguised tiefling Sharliss, and his presence in the mountains confirmed it. The woman Kania on the other hand was something else, something dangerous.<p>

Even though he did not have any special vision or detecting spells , the summoner knew some basic rules of adventuring . Even though he wasn't an adventurer, Petrus followed these edicts, and found them to be very helpful. One of the basic tenets of adventuring was that if you found a beautiful woman in a dungeon or a ruin, and she was actually helpful or friendly...chances are she's a monster or trap of some sort. It was the oldest trick in the book to lure treasure seekers to their doom by getting them to drop their guard. The woman named Kania was definitely beautiful. She was tall, athletic yet still shapely, and moved with a seductive almost feline grace that would bewitch most men. Petrus would have fallen head over heels for such a magnificent and bewitching woman if he had encountered her in a city or a town, but out here in the treacherous Shattered Mountains, the summoner knew she was definitely a beautifully disguised death trap.

The proper course of action would be to attack her outright. Maybe pretend to be interested in her, then blast her with all his magic. However, upon observing his companions when they returned , Petrus noticed they seemed overly friendly with this Kania woman. It was commonly known that the denizens of the underworld that took on fair appearances typically employed enchantment magic. Everything from Succubus, and Eriynes, to nymphs and dryads, even the monstrous harpies and sirens were known to employ mind distorting glamors. Although Petrus mostly specialized in evocation, abjuration , and of course summoning magics...the summoner knew well enough what would happen if he attacked Kania openly. Her charmed subjects would rally to her, and even with Adria's aid he would not be able to fend all of them off.

He could attempt to dispel her enchantment , but he was not confident in his ability. To challenge one's magic against another mage's was more the realm of a wizard of a sorcerer. A summoner prepared to attack more obliquely , mainly through his summons then a test of magical might. If he attempted a dispel and it failed, his hand would be tipped and he feared the retribution that would follow. Petrus was paralyzed with indecision, if he didn't act now he might fall prey to Kania's magic , or worse the whole caravan might.

"Hey Petrus...what's up?", asked Kirgi.

The summoner looked at the dwarf, and noticed that he didn't seem that enamored by the woman. Did the dwarf's famed dwarven resistant to magic prevent him from falling to her charms?

"Kirgi...come with me. ", ordered the summoner as he dragged the protesting dwarf behind a wagon, far from the rest of his companions. The summoner crouched close to the dwarf to ensure no one could hear them .

"Errr. look Petrus. We're companions and all...but I'm not really into humans...especially human men. ", said the dwarf awkwardly as he pushed the summoner away.

"You idiot. I'm not making a pass on you. I have some important questions.", hissed Petrus.

"Look...that's all the treasure. No one hid any from you. If you don't trust me, you can frisk me. Errrr on second thought...no...you can't frisk me. That's what you want isn't it?", asked the dwarf cautiously.

"My god... Stop putting a sexual spin on everything I do! Now listen...while you were in Lady Kania's company...did you notice her being over friendly? At any point did you notice either yourself or the others regard her as their best friend? ", asked the summoner.

Kirgi scratched his head, "Hmm...not really...wait. She wanted to get freaky with Sarin before he left, and when he refused she insisted on accompanying him. Something about wanting to bear his child. And she also charmed me.", replied the dwarf carefully, not wanting to drive his arcane companion to a jealous rage.

"Wait...she charmed you?",asked Petrus while he slowly backed away from the dwarf.

"Ahh its cool. She didn't really make me do anything, except face my own fears . Otherwise I probably might have ran when we fought those griffon knights. I put on a brave front, but really I'm a follower not a leader. If there's no one to rally around, I'm the first to bolt. ", admitted the dwarf with a shrug.

Petrus looked at the dwarf. Kania's magic must be powerful indeed. Kirgi apparently knew that he's been charmed but was apparently ambivalent to it. Was her magic that powerful, or the dwarf that dumb? Petrus pondered the question and decided to press his short companion for more answers.

"Do you know what she is? She looks like a form of nature spirit...We're too far away from any trees so I doubt she's a dryad. And no one has been blinded by her beauty so she's probably not a nymph. Is she a slyph? or some other type of bewitching fey?" , asked the summoner tensely.

Kirgi looked at his friend and wondered at the source of his agitation. "Hey Petrus, she's cool . She's not any of those things. She helped us in that fight , and even showed us a short cut to get back to the caravan. More importantly she gave us her share of the loot, even though Halvor insisted she take one. That makes her OK in my book.", defended the dwarf.

"Look you fool . Try to follow this. Of course she seems cool , you were under a charm. Everything she did is wonderful , sparkly and smells like butterflies to you. She also got you to lead her to this caravan not to help you , but to give her an opportunity to enslave the rest of us. Finally , she gave you her share because she's just gonna take it back anyways. As soon as she bends everyone's wills to her whims, we're all going to be porters for her treasure or some form of monstrous snack treat ! Do you understand this? ", shouted Petrus at the dwarf.

"Is there a problem?", asked a husky voice from behind the summoner. Petrus's blood ran cold and wondered if he could call forth Adria in time before he fell prey to this enchantress.

"It's cool Kania. Petrus is kind of freaked out right now. He thinks you have me charmed. ", explained Kirgi.

Petrus looked at the dwarf and wondered how anyone that stupid could still be living. Even if he was under a charm, he could have fought and subvert her intentions. Now Kania was aware that he suspected something, a conflict was sure to erupt. A conflict that Petrus was not yet ready for.

" Be at ease. I mean you no ill will. I had the dwarf charmed , but I have released him awhile ago. ", stated the tall shapely woman while the dwarf nodded in agreement.

"That doesn't prove anything. Kirgi would agree to anything if he's charmed. ", challenged the summoner.

Kania suddenly appeared directly in front of him. She moved with such speed that Petrus was unable to follow her quick approach. She grasped his chin with a delicate hand and ran her fingers delicately through his hair. As the summoner prepared to summon forth guardians to do battle , the woman's eye's reverted to those of a great hunting cat. "I think you are over thinking this. ", she purred softly in his ear.

Petrus's will to fight was suddenly drained from him. "Lamia...", he whispered as he knew he was doomed. The dreaded lamia was one of the most dangerous foes to an adventurer. The touch of the creature could drain the fight out of the most resilient foe. The close contact she was performing with her fingers had probably rendered him a willing slave by now, the summoner reasoned.

"Yes...I am...", she purred . Suddenly she was gone and Petrus and Kirgi stood standing next to each other.

Petrus breathed heavily as the danger passed. Suddenly he stopped. He suffered the lamia's deadly touch multiple times. Was he charmed as well? Was his will broken? Was he a willing slave like Kirgi? The summoner had never been charmed before, and wondered if this was what it felt like. He didn't feel any more favorable to Lady Kania and did not feel less wise or staunch after her touch. Was he actually her "slave" or was his own mind deluding himself in thinking he still had free will. He had no doubt of what she was , and the monstrous footprints on the ground confirmed it. If she was a lamia then there was no way he could have survived that encounter with his will power intact.

"Hey...that's pretty much what happened to me. Except she charmed me and she didn't whisper in my ear. ", complained the dwarf, jealous of the special treatment Petrus received.

* * *

><p>Nymk's head spun. The archer revived from the darkness and slowly became aware of her surroundings. She figured she was moving, slowly but steadily . From the way her body was contorted she guessed she was lying like a bagged dear over some sort of mount. The swords woman tasted leather stuffed firmly in her mouth . Her arms were tied painfully behind her back and her legs were bound tightly together as well . As she became more awake, she still felt the wounds and bruises she suffered earlier but was surprised the poison in her leg was gone. She tested her bindings and found no give to them.<p>

"Awake?" , asked a deep feminine voice.

Nymk froze as she recognized the speaker as her nemesis Lionsong. The swords woman tensed for a second then relaxed. She was the prisoner of the Griffon Princess, and was at her mercy. It would be useless to struggle now, while she was being observed and bound. Nymk reasoned that it would be best to wait for a better opportunity, perhaps while her captor slept she would be able to escape her bindings.

"It's about time you came to your senses. You've been out for awhile now. Over a day. ", spoke the haughty Princess.

Nymk could not see her captor from where she was positioned, but she grew hot with anger from her talk. As she grew more cognizant of her surroundings, she realized she was slung over what must have been the tri horned monster . She glanced at the creature's side and saw it was riddled with arrow wounds which were molted in poison. Despite the wounds to the monster , it did not seemed slowed by the damage it had taken. The swords woman surmised that Lionsong somehow tamed the monster and used it to escape the pursuing Bloodelves. Guessing from the arrows in the monster's side, it had not been an easy withdraw.

Nymk wondered what would become of her. They were still hundreds of miles away from the Northern Lands. Were they headed to some secret Griffon Enclave? Perhaps she was to be used as a decoy. Most likely she was to be spared so she could be tortured and killed at the vengeful Griffon Princess's leisure. The Bloodelves pursuit only delayed her inevitable fate.

As Nymk pondered her grim future, she was shocked as she was pulled upwards by her hair. She shuddered as she was brought eye to eye to the Griffon Princess. Lionsong examined her prisoner carefully, and grinned slyly at her. She was clearly in charge and was toying with her prey. As Nymk glared at the larger woman, Lionsong pulled what looked like a bloodelf obsidian knife and showed it slowly to her captive. Nymk did not flinch as the blade was brought dangerously close to her face. The swords woman had faced worse in the past and would not break from the Griffon Princess's little game. If she was to die now, she would die with the dignity that she fought a good fight and was resolute to the end. Her failure in the service of the Grand Champion seemed trivial now, she only regretted that she was unable to save Sarin. Not because he was an important political pawn, but because he was a friend.

Suddenly Lionsong flipped the smaller woman around . Nymk half expected the blade to plunge into her back and was surprised when her arms were suddenly sliced free. Before the swords woman could react she was thrown unceremoniously to the hard ground below.

As Nymk scrambled to free her legs , the obsidian knife was thrown and embedded in the ground a mere foot from her. She glanced upwards and saw the Griffon Princess stare down imperiously at her. She looked like the barbarian princess that she was while mounted on the mighty war beast.

"Emerald Arbiter...I should have let those tentacles slay you, for costing me the abomination...", Lionsong stated angrily.

Nymk looked at the knife and wondered if they were to continue their duel. Armed with just a crude stone dagger she was woefully under armed, but it was still more then she hoped for. She grasped the knife and awaited for her foe to make the first move.

" ...However...you fought well against both the blood elves and myself. As you can see, I drew the poison from your leg. I will not see the end of the life of a worthy opponent by such a vile method. Despite the hurtful, horrible and completely untrue reference you made about my brother and myself , I respect your ability to battle despite the odds. However, since the object of both of our factions is no longer with us, I see no reason to continue this. ", stated Lionsong to the stunned Nymk. The swords woman fully expected another battle and was surprised to be spared from such a disadvantageous battle.

The griffon princess spurred her mount around and began riding away from the now freed Nymk. She turned around and raised a familiar looking bow and a loose bag, which the smaller recognized as her magical quiver. "Emerald Arbiter...I shall keep these as a trophy. I'm sure we will meet in the future where you can challenge me for their return if you like.", grinned the larger woman, in a manner more akin to friendly banter then the deadly exchanged of the recent past.

Nymk freed her legs, and struggled with the crude leather gag . She wasn't sure if she should attack Lionsong, but still felt weak from the tentacles and her bondage. She was still angry at the Griffon Princess for the attack, and the kidnapping and loss of Sarin, but felt her opponent was like herself. A pawn to greater powers at play. She wasn't sure if she should blame Lionsong for the half elf's death , but was too tired and exhaused to challenge her at the moment . As the Griffon Princess rode away, Nymk shouted " It's NYMK ! and I'll be waiting for round four!"


	35. Chapter 35

Earl picked up the familiar ornate sword and peered down the perfectly balanced blade. He marveled nostalgically at the mix of gaudy design and deadly utility. It had only been 10 years , his time, since he last held the blade, but knew it had been two centuries , in normal time, that it had been wielded.

"A lovely weapon isn't it?", commented Reinhardt as he appeared out of nowhere suddenly. Although he seemingly materialized out of thin air, Earl gave no indication that he was surprised , he was in Reinhardt's office after all. The assassin swiveled easily to face his old friend.

"Of course it is. It's mine. ", grinned Earl. " Emperor Alphonso gave me this himself. When I was bestowed the title Lion of Grom . ", said the assassin wistfully.

Reinhardt nodded. "About that...even though Clovis has appointed myself as the head Royal Adventurer and Lord Quick as the new Sir Eggbert, or Lion of Grom, you will still be my senior. "

Earl shrugged and shook his head. " Nonsense, Clovis is the Emperor now. I respect and approve both his choices. You are perfectly capable and ruthless enough to command the respect and loyalty of the Royal Adventurers. As for the new Lion of Grom, we both know besides the larger paycheck it is a purely symbolic role. Sir Eggbert is meant to keep people in line through fear and terror. In my days , Alphonso himself was more then enough to strike awe to the masses, my role was more of that of a shadowy taskmaster to keep upstarts in check. This new Empire,...it needs someone more public. I can't think of someone who is more in the spotlight and more importantly , craves the attention then Lord Ricardo Bel Cadiz blah blah blah. ", chuckled the assassin.

"I do not doubt our new emperor's appointments , I just think you should get some recognition for your ...tireless service to the Empire. ", replied Reinhardt with a simple nod.

"That my friend ...is something I do not want well known. ", smiled Earl. "Old habits are hard to break you know. I care not if I'm no longer considered Sir Eggbert, or even a Royal Adventurer. ", responded the ex Lion of Grom. His real motives had more to do with courting a certain tattooed half elf then modesty of his accomplishments.

"Have you come to tell me this? Is this your resignation?", asked the new Head Royal Adventurer tepidly.

Reinhardt was immensely powerful and had a storied career. To begin with, despite his humanoid appearance he was actually a Gelugon . A breed of powerful baatezu also known as ice devils that were generally considered only second only to pitfiends in respect and power . He served as a Captain under the former Arch Duke Geryon in Stygia , he labored as a mercenary in the Bloodwars when his Lord was exiled, then he worked as a smuggler of souls in Carceri , traveled to the frozen plane of Porthatys , and eventually came to the prison world of Grom. Although he was assured that "Grom" was a world in the prime, Reinhardt had its doubts. The high proliferation of outsiders and proxies, as well as the way communication and transportation magic convinced the exile infernal that this world was an extension of Carceri. Despite his impressive resume, Reinhardt had great respect for Earl. As an ice devil , few beings in the multiverse commanded his deference. The assassin was deadly in his craft and rivaled the greatest baatezu and tanarii executioners. To lose him as an asset to the organization he now pledged his allegiance to would be a blow to the fraternity he now ran.

"No..no...well maybe. I will still serve Grom , but not under any official capacity. I owe Olive too much to leave her out on the limb by simply quitting. Consider me as a consultant or how about a well paid contractor ? ", remarked Earl flippantly.

Reinhardt nodded and sighed. "Not the answer I was hoping for, but I will accept it at face value. ", relented the Royal Adventurer.

"Any sign of Amirah?", asked Earl softly.

Reinhardt shook his head grimly. His long time servant was nowhere to be found. The Gelugon's divination's had revealed nothing, and he assumed the worse for her.

"How is the Emperor working out? Is he demanding the whereabouts of his trusty scribe?", querried the assassin attempting to change the gloomy subject.

"Constantly. ", grinned Reinhard who gladly moved on from the previous subject . ",but seriously , I can see why Olive has placed such high hopes on him. He is naturally gifted in working a crowd, and very good at organization and administration. Apparently , skills he learned as a master merchant. I always assumed the souls of bureaucrats would be the ideal administrators to the great pit, but I must now consider the extraction of merchants. ", added the disguised Gelugon, partially serious and partially in jest.

"Oh ...that's the last thing we need. The nine hells runned by merchants. ", laughed Earl.

"Currently , besides consolidating his power , he is working on some forge , which I believe you have some knowledge of. Conducting experiments ...on flying chairs ...of some sort. ..and crafting some type of communication ring system.", gushed Reinhardt.

"Communication rings? I heard of the previous two projects but I haven't heard of that one.", inquired the assassin.

"Yes...an innovative creation if it works. As you know, Grom is warped by many magical..dead zones..so to speak. It makes magical spells unreliable amongst other things in vast stretches of wilderness. However, the new Emperor is planning on creating rings to give to the various rulers and governors of his lands. Their primary purpose is communication, but he indicated it would be easy to add other functions to them as well, like water control or even invisibility. The bearers of these rings would be able to talk to each other and better administer their kingdoms.", answered the Royal Adventurer.

"That..that would be wonderful! We wouldn't need to rely on the skyships to keep lines of communication open for the empire. The military applications alone would be immeasurable. ", spoke Earl in admiration.

"Yes...he planned on making a whole set for the various provinces and allies of Grom. Even countries which we only have weak diplomatic ties with.", explained Reinhardt.

"hmmm...That sounds a bit too convenient. Besides the obvious dangers of aiding our competition and possibly our enemies why would he do that? ", asked the assassin.

"That's one of the questions I posed . Apparently all communication would go through a Master ring. I assume the emperor would wear it. Therefore giving him the ability to monitor and keep check on his subjects and "allies". He plan to make a few of them, nine for the various Grommish human provinces. Seven for various dwarven kingdoms. One for Barkwark , and two for neutral elven kingdoms. No plans for gnomes and halflings though. ", chuckled the impressed Gelugon.

"He should begin construction at once . It sounds more practical then the flying chair scheme. ", commented Earl.

"Indeed , when the empire settles down after the pending wars with the giants and gnomes , he plans on heading to the nearest volcano and forging it. He also plans on building a really tall tower to watch his subjects, but that seems more like a mid life crisis compensation thing. ", shrugged Reinhardt.

The two old comrades laughed at the prospect of the future and hopefully benign reign of their new emperor.

"I suppose you came here for a purpose? Besides admiring old weapons and talking about magical rings.", asked Reinhardt.

"Indeed, Olive is concerned that the young Hush has gone missing from the Academy. Our astute General suspects she is making her way to Narwhal Hold. Not that she has any problem with that , but she fears the journey is a tad too dangerous to take at the moment. ", replied Earl.

"I am aware of this. Clovis has mentioned his concern with her well being also. It seems our new emperor values her safety greatly. I sent people to follow her and found she went to our new comrade in arms Zax's villa. Apparently to attend a small celebration. I was told that Lord Quick was a guest. That was the last place we saw her.", replied Reinhardt.

"Zax? Between us, not my first choice as a new Royal Adventurer appointee.", Earl said contemptuously.

"He wields some sword called Dragon's Flame. An artifact of some renown in these parts I assume. He also has quite the following from Northern Grom, apparently he defeated the Avatar of Myleka amongst other exploits. Even from my prison , I saw he best the Griffon Knight at the Royal Court. I also heard he single handedly prevented the fall of the northern Gate during our recent siege. ", shrugged Reinhardt.

"He's also a cowardly show boat. We already have one attention stealer in Lord Quick, I question the need of another. I was hoping that with the new crop of Royal Adventurers it could become a useful organization again. ", sniffed the assassin.

"Your concerns are noted. As I was saying , the Lady Sharliss was seen at Lord Zax's villa, but vanished afterwards. Skyship travel is strictly monitored . The northern pass through Fortress Grom is closed except for a single caravan company that had left before the raid. The docks are her only course of passage and our agents are carefully watching them. ", explained the Royal Adventurer.

"Could Zax be assisting her ? The pair are well known to each other. Maybe we should question him? ", asked Earl.

"I had talked to the tiefling after his appointment and he mentioned he had planned to take his elven lady friend to the southern Island of Irendi. From my reports he had made good his promise and has headed south, the scenic route I believe. He apparently plans to milk his appointment for as much as he can. ", shrugged Reinhardt.

"Hush was not seen with him? She's a clever girl. She most likely suspects we are keeping tabs on her. She might seek transport from a southern port. Somewhere like Barkwark, or maybe the Rock of Doug. ", commented Earl.

"No. My agents suspected that as well, but saw no signs of her with Zax . He's traveling with just his consort I believe. ", noted Reinhardt. "I might add, that if her plan is to seek a southern port that will take a considerable amount of time. The Assembly of Champions might be over by then. The Warmaster might be long gone from Narwhal Hold. "

"An interesting point. However I think we should alert the guards at the Southern Ports to watch for her arrival. Even if she's not traveling with our comrade Zax, she might seek other means to arrive there.", suggested Earl.

Reinhard chuckled, even after leaving the Royal Adventurer's his old friend still commanded an authoritative presence. The disguised Gelugon simply nodded at the order. He wondered where Sharliss was at, taking the long route to Narwhal hold would surely defeat the purpose of her journey.

* * *

><p>"Do we have to stop at every inn and tavern we find?", complained Isula from inside the wagon. There was still a few hours left to travel in the day, but Zax decided now would be a good time to stop.<p>

"Of course. My cover story is that I am taking the lovely Darwen on a vacation to the southern lands. I am sure my progress is being tracked , and flags will be raised if we proceed in too much haste. We don't want our grand scheme to fail due to your impatience do we?", snorted Zax in a superior tone as he directed Bucky to the inn up ahead.

"We also don't want our "grand scheme" to fail due to being so damn slow. The point is to get Sharliss to Narwhal Hold to warn her parents directly. ", replied the small giant icily.

Zax shrugged. He still thought this entire plan was dumb. A messenger to the Warmaster should suffice , however he felt himself trapped into escorting Sharliss. It would have been to everyone's benefit including the priestess's if she remained in Grom City, but somehow Zax was "forced" to take her to Narwhal hold. He wasn't being coerced forcefully, but between Sharliss's tears and Darwen's admiration, he felt he had no choice. Zax planned to travel to Barkwark as slow as possible without raising suspicion from his lovely companions . Hopefully by the time they arrived, the greet barbarian high poobah meeting would be over, and Sharliss would regretful return back to the capital.

"I am sure Zax knows what's he doing. He's a carriage drive by trade. If anyone could ferry us from A to B in time in a wagon it would be him. ", defended Darwen. The elf smiled at Zax , giving him a "don't blow my trust I've placed in you! ", look. Zax grinned cockily and knew it was a tight rope he had to walk. He had to be late , but make it look like it wasn't his fault. Perhaps a wrong turn or mechanical problems of some sort. Sharliss's magical wagon did not seem capable of breaking down. It was the epitome of comfort and smooth driving, and made Zax jealous. The mount however was a different story. He only hitched his loyal steed Bucky to the wagon , and Zax had hoped he could run him lame . Not immediately of course, but maybe in an isolated wilderness area. Somewhere they would be stuck in for a few days, thus preventing them from reaching their destination in time. Zax of course would be prepared to make a big dramatic show of losing his favorite war mount, and thus diverting suspicion away from his actual objective.

"Have faith in Zax , Isula. I have complete trust in him.", commented Sharliss which silenced the small giant.

As the lone pony pulled the wagon towards the inn, Sharliss transformed Isula and herself to look like a pair of hunter of some sorts. It was a simple enough costume when paired with the half dozen rabbits that the small giant and Darwen had caught in the morning. She would make a minor show of attempting to haggle with the innkeeper to maintain her disguise. As she finished her spell, she noticed a fair bit of horses outside the inn. She seemed more curious then alarmed, when she realized they were a mixed lot in quality. Certainly not the mounts of a patrol sent to apprehend her and send her back to the capital.

"Ok ladies, here is the inn I promised to take you to. ", said Zax in a loud audible voice. He was clearly over acting , but it was an effective enough deception.

Zax made a show of aiding Darwen off the wagon, but gave no effort for the two rustic looking women hunters that accompanied him. Sharliss normally had Sarin aid her , and almost stumbled off the wagon, but Isula was quick to help her regain her balance.

As the group entered the inn, Sharliss and Isula swiftly went to haggle with the inn's cook. It was still early in the evening and the man was not fully immersed in his duties yet. As she began to negotiate with him, she noticed a curious sight. A cloaked band approached Zax warily and the priestess expected the worse.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed it was the tiefling named Gammon, or Blackscale by Zax's lazy naming convention. She glanced at the other cloak figures and suspected they were tieflings as well, which would explain their cloaks. However to Sharliss's knowledge ,Tieflings were not welcomed outside the main cities. Zax was barely tolerated and that was only because of his rank and his propensity to spend a lot of money. She wondered why Gammon and his companions were so far away from their usual haunts.

* * *

><p>"Zahax! Its so good to see you!", smiled a dark scaled tiefling.<p>

Zax looked at him and a hint of recognition flashed before him. It was one of his rescuer's from the Freedom Anarchy Rebellion Tiefling organization. Was his name Scaleface? Blackdevil? Blackscale?

"Blackscale? ", asked Zax tentatively unsure of the tiefling's name.

"Eh? Oh yes...that is what you called me. You can also call me Gammon , but Blackscale is fine for old friends. ", said the now identified tiefling nervously. Zax saw the man was edgy but chalked it up to his impressive reputation. Zax had experienced many people star struck in his presence and he had no doubts that Blackscale was suffering from the same thing.

"What are you doing in this quaint inn?", asked Zax carefully. He was going to say "mud hole" , but he was careful not to insult the innkeeper. He wanted to groom his image as a modest hero , not an arrogant aristocrat. Lord Quick already had that market cornered.

"I'm...I'm...", stammered Blackscale.

One of the dark skinned tiefling's cloaked companions walked up and bowed to Zax. "Gammon told usssss that he wassss friendssss to the famous Zahax. The defender of the North Gate during the raid by the knightssss. Clearly he did not lie. ", hissed the cloaked man.

Zax looked at the speaker . The cloak he wore hid most of his features, but that was not surprising. Tieflings typically traveled wearing big cloaks, or large hats to disguise their heritage. Even Zax had an emergency poncho and sombrero in case he had to disguise his features. Although his features were well hidden, Zax saw the man's hands had scales on them, and suspected they must have been relatives of some sort to Blackscale. He looked at Blackscale and saw he was clearly nervous. Obviously his acquaintance had decided to do some name dropping to get ahead with his relatives. Zax did not particularly like the man, but decided to oblige him for old times sake.

"Yes! Blackscale and I fought back to back in the sewers against savage mutant rats! My companions doubt my tale, but clearly with Blackscale as my witness they must surely accept my story. ", Zax said loudly. Hopefully Sharliss would hear it and cease questioning his version of events.

The cloaked man looked at Blackscale then at Zax. "Gammon , or Blackscale mentioned the tiefling that was with him in the sewer was wielding a rapier and was named Zahax. I heard tales that the hero Zax used a great flaming broadsword." , questioned the man.

Zax took a step back, and pulled out a broadsword in a flourish, provoking a gasp from the crowd at the inn. "Stay calm, I'm just showing off. ", replied Zax to the inn's patrons before turning to the cloaked man. The orange tiefling smiled as suddenly the weapon warped and transformed into a deadly thin blade. "As you can see I do indeed wield a rapier. I prefer to use this over the broadsword since it gives my opponents a sporting chance. What's the fun of trouncing your opponents without a heavy blade when I can prolong a fight with my finesse and skill. ", smirked the tiefling arrogantly.

The cloaked man looked at Blackscale and grumbled something in a language that Zax could not understand. "My apologiesssss...I ssssee the sssstoriessss are misssstaken . You indeed have a rare and powerful weapon, but its sssshape changing assspectssss must have confussssed my companion and other onlookersssss. ", the man hissed with a bow and returned to his fellows with the now shamed Blackscale..

Zax was clearly disappointed. He liked nothing more then being the center of the attention and this man was clearly not impressed. Darwen touched his arm and motioned him to return to the table she had got for them, but the tiefling waved her off. He valued and greatly enjoyed her company but he would not be satisfied till Blackscale and his friends were suitably impressed.

Zax walked up to the small group who seemed secretive and secluded from the rest of the inn. Again, it was something Zax had expected from tieflings , especially outside the big city.

Blackscale was surprised at Zax following them , and he stood up to talk to his acquaintance.

"Zax, now's not the time.", he stammered.

Zax of course waved him off. "Gentleman. I take it you were expecting something else. I bet you were expecting my famous broadsword ...the blade called Dragon's Flame.", boasted the tiefling.

As Zax spoke the name of his blade, the cloaked figures suddenly stopped and stared at the orange tiefling. Exactly the effect Zax wanted.

"I see you are a connoisseur of magical weapons. It is indeed in my possession, but I do not normally wield it. Combined with my skill it would be over kill for any opponent I face. I normally only draw it for special occasions or to impress the ladies. ", said the tiefling while mischievously raising his eyebrows.

"You...you know of the sssword'ssss name? You have the blade with yousss?", hissed the cloaked spokesman in surprise.

Zax smirked, he loved a captive audience. They all stared at him dumbfound disbelief, no longer attempting to hide their appearances. Zax clearly saw scales and slitted eyes. They definitely had a family resemblance to the ugly Blackscale, he noted. Zax toyed with them like a showman for a few seconds. Then drew forth the sheathed blade. The cloaked figures hissed in surprise and happiness at the sight, and Zax wondered how much free drinks and other stuff he could pry from this bunch.

"Don't touch boys . It's a powerful weapon. If a lesser being touched it , I would think they would explode from its power. ", warned the orange tiefling in his best dramatic voice. The cloaked figures recoiled from the blade at his warning, but were still fascinated by it.

"Thank yousss.. Thank youssss.", spoke the head cloaked figure as he flashed a toothy smile.

* * *

><p>"Really Zax. You shouldn't be showing off like that. ", complained Darwen as she crawled on their bed.<p>

Zax shrugged and walked to the window. There were no outward signs that Sharliss and Isula had returned to the wagon, but he knew that's where they were. Bucky was in the stables, and he was all alone to the enjoy the soft company of his lovely elven companion.

"I have to show off.", defended the tiefling. "I'm a traveling hero and Royal Adventurer. That's what people expect. I'm just playing my role. "

"Well ...I suppose .", commented Darwen as she stretched seductively on the bed. It wasn't a great bed, but very nice compared to the military accommodations or the hard wooden boards she had grown up with. "Isula is right you know. We could limit suspicion if we just traveled faster to our destination. The less contact the better.", warned the elf.

"Sharliss asked me to be in charge remember? Not Isula. We'll get to Barkwark in plenty of time, barring of course any unforeseen complications. ", smiled the tiefling knowingly to himself. "Now , if we're going to criticize about our actions. I have one big complaint.", stated the tiefling with a grin.

"Oh ...what is that?", asked Darwen sensing the tiefling's lusty intentions but not knowing the exact way he would express it.

"I don't think you are doing a good job of playing the role of a smitten consort. People are going to start asking questions you know. They might think you're a hired thug or something. That won't help my reputation you know. I'm suppose to be a swashbuckling Royal Adventurer, I don't need grim faced hooligans at my beck and call. ", admonished Zax with a grin.

Darwen giggled at his suggestion but then calmed herself and decide to play his game,"Oh...what can I do to remedy this? Perhaps show more cleavage? Maybe hang on your arm so more? Perhaps be a bit more intimate ? ", asked the elf as she spoke slowly and hungrily from the bed.

"That will be a start...let's explore the last option. ", Zax said smoothly as he made his way to the waiting elf.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Zax stopped and grumbled. "WHAT IS IT!", he scowled at the door.

"Zahax..its me ...Gammon..errr Blackscale.", sputtered someone from outside.

Zax held out a finger to Darwen indicating the amount of time this was going to take. The orange tiefling grumbled as he walked to the door, and opened it. He was surprised to see Blackscale and three of the cloaked men behind him.

"It's kind of late you guys. I have a...victim of Abysall Fever ..I have to attend to. ", complained the tiefling to the four.

"Zahax...I'm sorry...I really hoped the stories weren't true. I didn't realize you were the Dancer of the Dragon's Flame. ", apologized Blackscale.

Zax was about to inquire further, when suddenly a cloaked figure reared its scaled head. A gob of venomous green spittle was launched from its mouth and struck a surprised Zax in the face.


	36. Chapter 36

"Aiieee!", shouted Zax as venom burned his eyes.

Zax staggered back with his engulfed in fiery pain . The orange tiefling was shocked by both the unwarranted attack and the strength of the poison. Zax was unsure what happened next but he felt strong hangs grasp and roughly handle him.

Despite the pain, Zax swung wildly at his unseen attacker. Although he was thin, the tiefling use to make a living carrying people's luggage. He connected solidly with his venom obscured attacker and heard an angry hiss in response.

Zax shook free of his foe and fumbled for a weapon. He had already taken off his showy weapon belt but some how instinctively grasped a hilt at his side. The tiefling reasoned that even though he could not draw Dragon's flame , the weapon could still be used as a club of some sorts in his hand. A heavy blow to his stomach stopped Zax before he could put his theory to the test. As the tiefling tried to recover, another merciless shot to the head brought him crashing to the floor in unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"Aiieee!", screamed Zax as Darwen awaited him on the bed.<p>

The elf saw the tiefling stagger back while grasping his eyes. Quickly following him were a pair of scaly humanoids. Darwen recognized one as a tiefling called Gammon, while the other was a much more reptilian creature. It was vaguely humanoid in shape and had an almost snake like head with a serpentine body. Its arms and legs appeared to be spindly , almost vestigial in nature. Despite its thin almost useless looking arms , it firmly attempted to grab Zax. Zax to his credit swung at it with a wild hay maker that miraculously connected. Everyone in the room, including the elf was surprised at the strength of his blow as it caught the snakeman in the jaw and staggered him.

Darwen wasn't sure what was happening, but she knew that they were under attack. Even though she was mostly in a state of undress, the elf had made it a habit to protect herself in spectral armor when she could. A basic spell like mage armor would only last a few hours, but the elf's proficiency in its use allowed it to last most of the day. Confident in her protections, she rolled to the side and grasped the elven blade that Sarin had given her. The ancient relic's perfect balance and construction seemed to merge in the elf's hand as she sprang to the attack.

Darwen saw several more snake creatures behind the first pair surge into the room. Before she could reach Zax, one struck the tiefling in the stomach with a truncheon while another battered his hunched over form. The elf's anger ignited as Zax fell to the ground. She sung a spell which seem to flow through her blade as she lunged at the nearest snake man. The creature hissed at her approach and moved with an unnatural grace to avoid her blow, but the elf's blade seemed to accelerate magically and struck it anyways. The snakeman screeched as black blood spilled from its pierced hide.

A sudden torrent of venom hissed at the elf , as several of the snakemen directed gobs of poison at her. The seasoned elven bladesinger calmly stopped their blows by intoning a mystical shield in her path. The venom struck the barrier and dispersed harmlessly away from her. The injured snakeman ignored its wound and attempted to strike the elf with its truncheon, but its blow was parried with both ease and disdain.

Darwen turned aside the blow, and swiftly counterattacked. The snake creature was surprised by her speed and deftness, as the elf's blade slipped through its guard and struck its previous wound. The monster fell back from the force of the blow and the extent of its injury. It crashed onto the ground writhing in pain.

The scaled tiefling named Gammon grabbed Zax while the elf was preoccupied and dragged him into the outside corridor. Darwen attempted to stop him, but two of the more bestial snake creatures blocked her with their crude clubs. They struck her mercilessly but once again , the elf blocked and parried the weapons with her mystic shield and blade. She stepped back and unleashed bolts of force at the nearest creature, striking it relentlessly. The successive blows drove the monster back till it struck the wall behind him. It was briefly kept standing by the impact of the spells, but it finally fell into a heap like the elf's previous victim. Even though the other club wielding snakeman saw two of its fellows felled by their enraged attacker, it showed no signs of faltering in the battle. It dropped its weapon and rushed Darwen with wild abandon. The elf slashed and struck it across the face, but the monster's momentum carried through with its attack. It battered through the mystic shield and managed to wrap a skinny arm around Darwen's waist. Even though it was an odd unbalanced hold, the monster's immense strength managed to lift the thin elf off her feet. The elf calmly battered the monster's skull with the pommel of her blade, managing to briefly stun it. She fell to the ground lightly and prepared to finish off the dazed monster, when she noticed a streak of fire streak through the room.

"Fireball !", she shouted to no one in particular , before the room exploded and was engulfed in flames.

* * *

><p>"How come we can't stay in the inn again?", asked the small giant, clearly missing the comforts of a soft bed.<p>

"I'm surprised, I thought all Frost giants enjoyed sleeping on sheets of ice in the wintery tundra. ", giggled Sharliss as she dropped her magical disguise.

"Do I look like like a "typical " Frost Giant to you?", sighed Isula . "I'm a ... noble bred giant with ancient blood lines. I believe the dwarf called me a "Giant Wife" , which is a rough translation for jättiläinen vaimo in my tongue. We aren't like regular giants, and have our own eccentricities . Add to that my own terrible rebellious nature, and you can begin to understand how I fit into giant society. I'm a rebel amongst a specialized caste in giant society. I can assure you that I prefer and appreciate a pile of soft furs and other civilized comforts much more then my brutish kin."

Sharliss nodded at the small giant's admission. "I suppose that's why we found you a thousand miles from your homeland?", the priestess inquired as she prepared their plain beds.

"Partially ...but that's a story for another time. ", replied the giant with a frown.

"I'm all ears...It's not like we have anything else to talk about. ", smiled Sharliss in a friendly disarming manner.

Isula paused and looked at the tiefling. A moment of indecision came over her , but Sharliss's comforting manner cracked her defenses. "My memories are still in a haze from my long sleep. I can't recall much, but I do remember bits and pieces. I left my homeland ... for a lover. Given the length of time of my imprisonment , I doubt there's any trace of him. I'm ashamed to admit , but I can't even recall his name and his appearance. Imagine leaving your homeland and your people, leaving everything behind...for a person who you can't even remember. When we were at the academy I did some research there about the Northern Knight Crusades to see if there was some mention of a knight with a giant at his side, but found no trace. ",the giant said softly.

Sharliss had not expected Isula to open up to her so easily, but could sense it was a burden the small giant carried with her for awhile now. She slipped suddenly next to the very small girl and hugged her lightly . "When we reach Narwhal Hold, I'll help you research more of your past. I'm sure the knights keep better historic records then the Grommers. ", said the priestess emphatically.

Isula's eyes welled up. She was about to say thanks, when suddenly a scream was heard outside.

"Aiieeee!", screamed a woman with a high pitched voice from the inn. The priestess and giant both paused and tensed for battle. Sharliss ran to the window of the cart, and gazed outside , while Isula began uttering spells, readying her enchantments. Even though the inner space of the cart was partially in a different dimension, it had a simple window that could view the "outside" from various angles on the wagon. As the priestess scanned for the source of the scream, the giant already knew battle was upon them.

Sharliss averted her eyes as a fiery explosion engulfed the upper level of the inn.

The giant's eyes narrowed as her spear magically leaped into her hands. Through some mystic incantation that even Sharliss was unaware of, her armor assembled magically on Isula as she rushed outside.

The giant's eyes narrowed as she saw several snake creatures exit the inn carrying the form of an unconscious Zax.

"Ophidians! ", she hissed as she recognized the degenerate ancient snake men. She then threw her spear at the closest one.

The snakeman was shocked as it was confronted by the short spear throwing albino wearing ornate blue white armor. It's expression turned to confusion, as the spear shattered his mystical defenses in a pyrotechnic display of suddenly visible auras and a shower of sparks. The creature briefly disappeared before the spear found its mark, but unerringly the weapon changed direction at the last moment and skewered him anyways. The creature's confused look contorted to a grimace of pain as the icy spear exited messily from his back and flew back to the girl's hand.

"Look out!", shouted Sharliss as more reptilian creatures appeared from outside the inn. The priestess followed her warning with a quick prayer . Isula wasn't sure what the exact nature of the enchantment was , but she felt it directed at herself. She was quite skillful at identifying arcane magics, but the small giant was unsure what the exact nature of the spell was. She did not feel more armored, lucky , or protected like most clerical enchantments bestowed.

Only two of the snakemen were with their tiefling prisoner now. Isula with her spear firmly back in her hand waded towards them, but was suddenly cut off by several tall and broad shouldered lizard men . The giant saw these creatures before in the marshes , fens, and muskeg of the Knight Lands, but had never fought them before. The lead lizard man swung a crude stone axe at her, which connected solidly into her shoulder guard . Despite her slight appearance, Isula shrugged off the blow with a grunt and spun to face her new attacker. She extended her spear in a simple strike and pierced her attacker cleanly through its chest. Despite wearing heavy crude armor, the small giant's spear met no resistance from the lizard man's armor, scales or hide.

As her foe fell to the ground four more of the lizard creatures descended on her. They seemed ready to overwhelm her with their size and speed. As they closed, Isula smiled and suddenly grew to her full height. The lizard men wavered in their assault as they saw their foe for what she truly was. A towering death dealing giant. Isula smirked as she swept her spear in a wide arc, battering and knocking her foes aside like practice dummies. A lizard man that fell close to her, was suddenly struck by her large foot, and was sent flying into the night sky before crashing in a heap into the ground.

Before the giant could seek another target, she could hear incantations somewhere in the vicinity. It was an arcane spell of some sort, a high level summoning she thought. The casters presence did not surprise her, she suspected it must have employed some sort of illusion or travel magic to bring such a large horde of creatures near these somewhat civilized lands. The giant scanned for the mage when suddenly a monstrous ox made of fire stepped out of the burning wreckage of the inn. Isula knew immediately what the creature was.

"Fire elemental.", she whispered nervously to herself. The Frost giants feared very little in their homelands. White Dragons, Linnorms, polar bears, and even mammoths they faced with stoic bravery. However there were certain creatures that even gave them pause. Fire elementals with their fiery blows were certainly one of them. Isula had seen elementals summoned before, but never one of this size. The creature was over 20 foot tall and dwarfed the giant it faced. It snorted flames and smoke as it prepared to charge.

The small giant feared its burning touch on her icy skin, but drove such thoughts form her mind. She was a warrior of Frost Haven, and despite her exile she would not shame the blood of her ancestors with craven cowardice. She considered throwing her spear at the monster, but readied her spear instead for its eventual charge. She knew she wouldn't last long under the monster's fiery assault so she had to time her blow perfectly.

The fiery beast bellowed and stampeded towards the giant. A lizard man that Isula previously stunned staggered into its path, and was crushed underfoot without a thought. The giant gauged the creature's distance and counted its footsteps as it thundered towards her. At the last moment she took a step forward and struck the beast below its neck. The blow was perfectly timed and executed , and would have felled a dragon. The icy spear extinguished a large section of the creature's neck but the monster continued its charge. It struck the giant solidly with its flaming horns and for a second Isula thought her own icy flesh would melt under the fiery assault.

As the giant braced for the pain of her death, she was surprised as the monster dealt little physical damage to her. Even the intense flames seem to almost tickle her skin as the elemental and giant both seemed shocked at the results of their collision. Isula smiled as she realized the nature of Sharliss's enchantment and gripped the monster by the throat. Her steely grip seized the beast as she shifted her weight and slammed it to the ground. As it fell , she repeatedly stabbed it with her spear in a frenzy of giantish rage.

* * *

><p>Darwen sensed the incoming attack, and opened a portal to escape. It was a spell she had never attempted before, but she felt more confident in her abilities and her skills recently. Her brief association with Zax seemed to tear down self imposed barriers and limitations that had previously hindered her magical progression. Even before she casted the spell, she knew with certainty it would work . As the room was engulfed in fire, the elf appeared several hundred feet away onto the main road.<p>

Darwen cursed herself for picking such a spot. It was where she choose, but in retrospect she should have chose someplace closer to the inn. It allowed her to regroup , but also allowed her foes a similar respite . Zax had saved her multiple times in the past, and despite his claims of cowardice she had seldom met a man so brave. Now in his time of need, she chose to escape outside over directly pursuing his captors . She knew she had little margin for error if she was to rescue the tiefling and quickly ran back to the inn.

"What were those creatures? Why were they after Zax? ", she asked herself as she made her way back to the inn. She placed an enchantment of haste on herself to speed her approach. As she swiftly returned, she noticed even more reptilian creatures attacking the inn, a veritable army. Isula had grown to her seldom seen giant form , and seemed locked in combat with a huge fire elemental. Various lizard and snake creatures descended on the giant, but she seemed to ignore their blows. Despite the giants contempt for their attacks, Darwen could see the giant bleeding from multiple wounds on her back and limbs.

Darwen scanned for signs of the tiefling and was struck by a moment of indecision. Find Zax or help the giant. If she saw any sign of the tiefling she would have definitely aided him, but a comrade was in immediate danger.

"I'll save you Zax.", she promised to herself as she waded into the swarming creatures.

* * *

><p>Sharliss placed the resist fire enchantment on Isula before she evaluated the battle. The explosion in the inn told her that their unknown foe used fire magic , and despite knowing little about Isula, the priestess did know her one weakness was fire. Her father taught her once that having a clear mind in battle was better then a sharp blade and a strong shield. The last battle she was in , saw her friends Lilithy and her beloved pet Freiki perish under her protection. She would not make the same mistakes again.<p>

She saw a mass of the snake creatures and lizard folk descend onto the inn. The tiefling named Gammon or Blackscale was amongst them, and she suddenly realized her error.

"He's not a tiefling , he's one of those purebred Yuan ti.", she realized. She spotted Gammon and another snake creature called an Ophidian carry Zax swiftly around the inn. She was unsure of their motives, but knew they were after Zax . She was unsure if she should check to see if Darwen was ok, back up Isula in battle, or pursue Zax. She saw Isula grow to her full height and batter a swarm of lizard folk . The giant would have no problem holding her own. She considered rushing into the inn to save Darwen, but noticed the lingering aura of a fading dimensional door . It was something most practitioners of magic would never catch , but her close familiarity with her father's portals enabled her to spot it. She doubt the snakemen would have used such a spell otherwise they would not resort to carrying Zax. She surmised that the elf must have escaped with that spell. Sharliss knew her course of action and gave pursuit to Gammon and his captive. Her mastery over the arcane was not as proficient as her skill over the divine but she managed to invoke a simple spell of invisibility on herself. Wrapped in her unseen cloak the priestess swiftly followed the faux tiefling.

Gammon and his companion were swift despite carrying their limp captive. As Sharliss pursued the group she passed several other groups of lizard folk and snake men. The priestess gasped at the amount of foes arrayed against them. She wondered if she should return to assist Isula but she heard some orders hissed at them from an unseen voice . Instead of continuing the assault the reserves withdrew into the night with Gammon . Even though there was at least twenty of them, they moved like shadows and disappeared almost without a trace.

Chasing a pair of yuan ti was one thing, but a small army of them gave the priestess pause. It would be safer to return to Isula and chase them in force, but she knew if she lost track of Zax she might not be able to find him again. That was one thing she would never forgive herself for. The priestess took a deep breath and followed the creatures into the darkness.

* * *

><p>Darwen struck the final lizard folk with a crisp and efficient blow to its neck. Its grasped its neck in surprise and pain as it fell onto it back writhing in pain. The elf knew she would not get no answers from this creature, but was confident there were others to question here.<p>

The elf and the giant stood oddly back to back surveying for any more attackers. Several more waves of creatures had charged them from the darkness of night, but their foe's fury seemed to be spent. Only the crackling sound of the burning inn broke the silence around them.

"Any sign of Sharliss? or Zax?", asked the giant in a calm voice. The rage of battle had passed her as well.

"I assume Sharliss pursued Zax's captors. ", Darwen said partially from logical deduction, partially from hope.

"I'll check for survivors .", said the giant as she plodded towards the inn. She seemed not to care about any surviving snakemen or lizard folk and left that task to the elf.

Darwen found a lizard man who seemed more disoriented then wounded. The elf surmised that it must have been struck down by the giant's spear shaft instead of its deadly tip. It weakly tried to crawl away and she guessed it only suffered a few broken bones in the melee.

The elf sank her blade into its tail, pinning it to the ground. The creature hissed in pain as it twisted to confront its tormentor.

Darwen surveyed the creature, and saw its eyes full of hate. She knew that it would attempt to strike her if she came closer and warily approached it with her phantom shield at the ready. As predicted, as she drew within its claws it attempted to strike her. It would have slashed the pretty elf's face, but her spectral shield and ethereal armor deflected the blow harmlessly. The elf kicked the creature in the side a few times to battered it into submission, but the monster continued to struggle fiercely against her.

Darwen took a step back as she realized her methods were not achieving the results she wanted. She was confused at the mindless rage that seemed to grip the lizard folk before her. Even with broken bones, its tail pinned, and kicked a few times, the monster still attempted to bite and attack Darwen. From her experience with them , most lizard folk would be pleading for their lives at this point.

Lizard folk were not generally accepted in Grom. Darwen knew from her experiences in the army that they were a peaceful people and that rumors of their savagery and cannibalism were greatly exaggerated , mostly by adventurers and partially by the lizard folk themselves. Their fearsome reputation generally kept humans away, which suited the reclusive swamp dwelling humanoids fine. Despite their isolated existence, they were not a evil people, and seldom ventured into the cities, unlike their distant troglodyte cousins. The troglodytes had a well deserved reputation of depravity and demon worship, but because they paid their taxes and were willing to play by the Grommers' rules, they were tolerated in certain cities in the north. The very few lizard folk that journeyed to the human cities often did so under the guise of troglodytes.

"The innkeeper and his staff have sustained minor injuries but otherwise fine. Luckily it was a slow night, or some patrons would have most likely died from that fireball. ", commented Isula in her now shrunken form.

"This creature is not behaving like the norm for its race. I've fought against them during border skirmishes in the swamps before. They are a fierce people, but not known for mindless rage like this one is exhibiting. Most lizard folk surrendered pretty peacefully when they are captured. ", commented Darwen unsure of what to do next.

"Its charmed...or something like a charm. ", replied Isula as she studied the creature's eyes. Suddenly she brought out her spear and impaled the creature mercifully in the neck.

"What! If it was a charm we could have broken the enchantment, we could have questioned it !", protested Darwen , shocked at the savagery of the giant.

Isula shook her head. " You would have gotten no answers from that creature. As I said it was charmed, but not one that can be broken so easily . To be more accurate , I should say its been cursed rather then enchanted. ", shrugged the giant.

"Sertrous's blood?", asked the elf uneasily. Ancient lore and history were not strong subjects for Darwen. She knew little of elf history , and even less of ancient tales. However she did recall something of the ancient cults of Sertrous, the fallen snake god.

The small giant nodded. "Yes, Sertrous the Obryinth, dead god of the Scaly folk. During the age of Dragons, it was said he crafted all the lizard and reptilian folk in his image. When his chief servants ,the yuan ti , battled the dragons for supremacy in the land, they fell as well as their abomination god. The various species of scaly folk have been in decline for millennium since that point, most living in swamps, caves or ancient ruins ...away from Giants and to some extent humans, elves and dwarves. Although my memories are hazy, I do recall that certain species of them were able to exert unnatural control over their lesser kin. Sarukh I think they are called. Their lesser kin are unable to resist their calling, they would even sacrifice themselves for their debased masters. The Sarukh's mastery over them is so great they are able to see through their eyes, hence my merciful slaying of our would be spy. Thankfully , they are very rare ..they were almost extinct during my time. I'm surprised there are some left in this world even after my long slumber.", explained the giant.

Darwen nodded at the brief history lesson and tried to process the giant's wealth of information. Despite the clarification of the situation it raised even more questions. Why would this ancient evil be after Zax? Where would such creatures hide?

"SHARLISS ! ZAX !", roared the giant into the darkness. Her voice resounded clearly through the dark even over the dying roar of the fire at the inn. Despite her call, no answer was given.

"Can you track..or do you have any divination spells?", asked Isula.

Darwen scanned the darkness around them. She didn't know where to begin . Counting the amount of attackers, there must have been tracks everywhere. She wouldn't know where to begin to look. If Sharliss did pursue Zax , she might have left a marker to indicate where she was headed but the elf was ashamed that she had very little wilderness skills. Despite being an elf, her knowledge of her people were very limited. It was like being a dwarf who did not know how to mine, or a halfling that only ate three meals a day.

She looked into the night and hoped that Sharliss and Zax was alright.


	37. Chapter 37

A groan escaped the tiefling's lips as he wondered if he was dead.

"Nope...not dead yet. I'm in too much pain to be dead. ", thought the tiefling as tears welled in his swollen eyes. His head was ringing from the multiple blows he had taken to his skull, and his eyes still burned with the venom spat in it. Despite this , the pain told him he was at least still alive.

Zax wavered in and out of the darkness . He opened his blurry eyes and saw he was in a dark cell. He recalled a similar beating he took a few weeks ago, and wondered if he was to awake in the lap of a beautiful elf. Sadly, as his vision cleared he saw he was alone in the prison.

"Darwen?", he whispered in the darkness. The tiefling was unsure of the fate of his companion. Was she captured? Did she escape? Did she meet a fatal end? Zax pondered this and wondered what a real hero should be feeling at the moment. Rage at being captured? Fear from his unknown attackers? Detached curiosity at his fate? The tiefling sighed as he was more worried over his companion's safety then his own.

The cell was damp and cold, and Zax guessed he must have been taken underground . Not because he had special dwarven senses or anything of that nature, it was more just a simple hunch. He did not recall any major fortresses or structures nearby , so concluded he was most likely underground.

As he became more and more coherent , Zax realized his armor and weapons were stripped. Whoever did this to him, was quite thorough and rough, as indicated by his torn clothes. They even took his magical satchel , and hidden coin pouches. What was more disturbing was that they took Dragon's Flame from him. Most of the time, the reluctant blade was hidden , even from the tiefling, but whoever his attackers were , they managed to locate and secure the blade.

Zax was never comfortable with the weapon. He always thought he kept the weapon around because he perceived it was valuable, however his brief discussion with the sage Jhallia had convinced him that the weapon was some how manipulating him. It had saved his life once or twice, but for the most part it was dead weight. The tiefling wondered if the sword was someone else's problem now? Zax gave a smug smile as he felt at least something good came from his capture.

As the tiefling recovered from his capture, the sound of a heavy bolt unlocking sounded just outside his cell. Zax had no weapons and waited patiently for his jailor . A repulsive creature half walked, half slithered in. It appeared to be a fat snake with spindly arms and legs. Zax dealt with troglodytes in Lower Lueders, and only did buisness with them when he was short on buisness. He found those creatures both smelly and disgusting, but for some reason they seemed downright friendly when compared to this creature's alien movements and appearance. The creature before him had eyes that were blank and cloudy. Zax couldn't tell if it was looking at him or not. It just flowed forwards and placed a long dark object on the ground. As soon as it did this, it turned around and slithered out the room. The sound of the bolt sounding outside again.

Zax crawled to the object and gave a disappointed frown. It was Dragon's Flame. Even though it was taken from him, it some how still felt the tiefling was its master, Zax thought. He tried to draw it , but not surprisingly, had no success. He tried to pry the door open with the scabbard and had no luck as well. He felt he should leave it back in the corner, but for some reason he found himself attaching it to his belt.

"A useless blade, for a useless Royal Adventurer.", thought a frustrated Zax .

* * *

><p>The morning came, and there was no clear sign of the Royal Adventurer Zax or his abductors. Darwen and Isula hoped the light would indicate where they had left, but found no such tracks. They found signs that many humanoids had come and gone, but the ability to determine direction was beyond them.<p>

Darwen had hoped to ask the innkeeper or the other surviving guests for possible locations Zax might have been taken to, but they had all fled during the melee. From her time in the army, the elf surmised they must have went to a local garrison. Knowing how they operated first hand, it would be a day or two before a patrol was sent to investigate.

Isula seemed less concern after the battle was over and sat atop Sharliss's wagon swinging her feet lazily.

"Our best course of action is to reach the local town, or farm house. Ask around there. They couldn't have gathered so many ophidians, lizard folk, and yuan ti here without attracting some attention. Unless of course it was done with magic of course. Then we'll be hard pressed to find them. ", the giant yawned in boredom.

Darwen was obviously annoyed at the giant girl's complacent attitude. "That will take too long, every second we waste will make tracking and catching those fiends that much harder.", the elf said angrily.

Isula shrugged, and hopped off the wagon as the elf continued to vainly search for a track, or a sign of the monsters' passing. She went to the relatively intact stable and lead the sturdy pony that the tiefling used to pull the wagon. The giant didn't know much about animals, but thought a pair of animals should probably have been used instead of one. However they didn't have any problems with just one beast of burden so it was clearly out of her breadth of knowledge she thought.

Even though the elf was still too distraught, the giant proceed with the most logical course of action. If they couldn't find tracks , they should take the wagon to a nearby settlement and asked where to go from there. It wasn't a great plan, but it was better then looking blindly for something neither one of them were capable of finding. All Isula had to do now was hitch the pony to its barding. Although she never trained in animal handling, the giant thought she could figure it out.

As the giant fumbled with the straps and harnesses, she noticed the elf was getting more and more distraught. She seemed on the verge of tears at her inability to track. "Darwen...sit down. We'll find Zax and Sharliss. I'm sure someone around here has an idea where they took them. ", consoled Isula in her uncomfortable version of an empathic voice.

"Its...its ...I'm an elf. I'm suppose to know how to track or at least handle myself outdoors. Look at me, I'm useless at this just like I am in life. ", the elf said bitterly with down cast eyes.

Isula looked at the elven warrior maiden before her and shook her head. She probably killed a dozen of the attackers last night, and here she was spouting off about how useless she was. No wonder the elf was attracted to Zax, she obviously had no self confidence of any sort, and kind of attached herself to the first person to show her any kind of attention. The giant tried to forget the elf , but the frustration of fitting the harness on the pony was wearing on her .

"Sit! ", ordered Isula in a commanding voice. Darwen paused and obeyed, more out of fatigue then actual fear from the small giant.

"Listen girl, get a hold of yourself. You're not thinking straight. If we're gonna find your boy friend or whatever , and more importantly the Lady Sharliss, we have to use our heads. If something doesn't work , we don't keep repeating it and hoping it will work. We move on to another course of action. ", chastised the giant.

Isula expected some resistance or anger from the elf, but her statement was only met with sad reluctance. "You're ..you're right. It's just...it's just I failed Zax. So many times he has rescued me the last few weeks, and I let him down when he needed my help. I feel awful thinking about the dreadful things they must be doing to him right now.", explained Darwen.

The giant stared at the elf...then chuckled...then laughed. "HA HA...sorry...I didn't mean to laugh like that, but listen to yourself. Zax is useless in a fight. He didn't rescue anyone. Look , when I first met him, I was chasing him around in an ice wall. We both know he's incompetent . The only reason he's accompanying the Lady Sharliss, is because she foolishly believes he's a hero or something. He's a victim of luck and circumstance, that's it. Any opponents hes beaten is because of that cursed sword at his side, any titles and accolades he's received are due to his over inflated fame. He's the most useless hero ever ! You have to snap out it girl, he's pulled the wool over your eyes and you have to give your head a shake and see him for what he really is! An opportunistic , glory stealing fake. ", challenged Isula .

Darwen wanted to argue and wipe the grin off Isula's face but she knew the giant was right. Partially right anyways. Nobody knew Zax like she did, not even Zax. The tiefling was everything the giant described and more, but at least he knew it and confided in her about it. He might be useless in battle, but it took more then skill and power to be a hero. The elf knew she was proof of that. Darwen wanted to tell Isula of Zax's bravery and true feelings but felt the giant would only laugh at her further. If anything her taunts were bringing them closer to blows, and the elf knew she needed all the allies she could get right now. She would hold her tongue for now.

Isula saw the elf sitting numbly from her statements, and wondered if she had over done it. The giant only wanted to get her focused , but didn't want to belittle her or the useless tiefling. Zax was pathetic and didn't surprise the giant that he was captured so easily, but at least he volunteered to help Lady Sharliss. That was commendable at least.

"Look, I'm sorry . I might have been a bit too harsh in my comments. ", apologized Isula. "I'm just getting frustrated trying to get this harness on the pony. ", explained the giant as she the elf's dark mood.

Darwen was not an expert at handling animals like Zax, but her time in the army gave her a wide range of skills. Nothing useful like tracking, but at least she could fit a horsecollar, crupper , and terrets on Zax's pony. Without a word, she hopped off the cart and proceeded to harness Bucky properly.

"Well, looks like we're ready to go. All we need now is an apple to get this little beast going. ", joked Isula trying to lighten the atmosphere.

At mention of the word apple, Bucky's ears propped up. It began sniffing the air, and started to trot into the fields adjacent to the road. Despite the wagon's weight and the rough terrain, the pony did not seem encumbered as it followed its nose.

The elf and the giant looked at each other as the pony left without them. "Zax might be useless in a fight, but he certainly knows how to train and handle animals." said the giant while a smile crept on her lips.

* * *

><p>Sharliss wasn't sure what she was doing. She wasn't a hero like her father or a warrior like Sarin . She wasn't able to defeat a hundred men like Uncle Frank with a blade, or blast a a dozen demons like her sister Surry. She couldn't move unseen like her mother, or blend in with her surroundings like Earl. All she knew was that a friend was in trouble. Specifically a friend that had dropped everything important to him to lend her help. She wouldn't let him perish like Freiki or Lilithy.<p>

Even though she tried to forget the bitter memories of their passing, she felt responsible for their deaths. She knew the knights were the one's that killed them, but the thought she could have done more still haunted her. She wondered if that's why she was so determined to warn her parents and save Sarin directly. Earl and Olive were right, it would have been better to send a messenger. Despite the political posturing , Sharliss knew that Grom would never wage war with the Northern Knights. It was all a propaganda game to appease the masses while the politicians figured out how to resolve the aftermath of the raid. Going after Zax, warning her parents, saving Sarin , these were all undertakings that were best handled by someone else. Her personal pursuit of these goals were all unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Yet, the priestess was compelled to follow her desires.

Was it her wild , willful half fiend heritage surfacing she wondered? Maybe it was her subconscious desire to emulate her father's sense of justice? Perhaps her close association with Sarin ? The half elf always kept her out of danger, and she was finally free to pursue adventure on her own. Whatever the reason , Sharliss eventually found herself outside a recently burned out manor.

She had followed the reptilian kidnappers after their attack, and their trail led her here. She was certainly not a good tracker, but it was a skill she learned from sister Surry and her missing Uncle Trip. Despite her incompetence , the people she was tracking made no attempts to conceal their path. They may have been an hour ahead of her, but she was certain their tracks lead into the building. She guessed the ruin was destroyed several months ago, and would be torn down soon. There was signs posted by the local guard that the building was condemned and the flooring was dangerous to traverse upon. Sharliss saw no sign of the reptile creatures and heard nothing as well. If they were in the basement she was certain she would have heard so many of them in the ruins, and guessed the ruins might have been the tip of the iceberg of a larger complex.

"A dungeon.", she said in excitement and awe.

More likely the old manor was an entrance to the underdark, or dark lands she corrected herself. She easily conceived a scenario where either the denizens below or the occupants of the manor dug and met the other. The result was the destruction of the manor, and an entrance to the surface by the creature's below. If she was correct, then her quarry might be getting further and further away. It would be still be prudent to gather her remaining companions, but their chance of finding Zax grew slimmer every minute.

Sharliss pondered her predicament and decided that she would trust in her companion's skill. Darwen was an elf, and she should have some rudiments in tracking. She half expected the elf to have caught up to her by now, but guessed they might have been delayed by the battle. She scratched the letter S clearly on the fire blackened wall, and crept into the basement of the ruin.

* * *

><p>Zax was thrown before a frightening creature. It was a monstrous beast , resembling a giant snake with a ridged humanoid head. It's scales and skin were a gleaming black and it's eyes narrowed on the tiefling. Zax expected to meet his captor's leader when he was dragged from his cell, but did not expect this nightmarish monster.<p>

Zax wanted to scream , but he remembered from his druid training to not show fear to snakes. Once in the Great Forest he almost stepped on one, and it bit his foot. He was only saved by the heavy boot he was wearing. Zax recalled panicking at the encounter, but also remembered his druid guide's advice. "The snake bit you because it was afraid you were going to step on it. ", she explained. It sounded simple but it made sense to Zax, and that lesson of self preservation took over as he dealt with the snake creature before him.

Zax stood up and dusted himself off before the creature. "I hope you have a good explanation for this.", he said calmly ignoring the creature's piercing gaze.

As the tiefling tidied himself, he noticed he was in a crude room. It seemed to have been recently excavated unlike the carved cell he was in before. There were several dozen reptilian creatures of all sorts ringed around them. Snake men, lizard men, scaly creatures that appeared more bestial then human. Almost every sort of scaly creature the tiefling could imagine, except the repulsive and smelly troglodytes. All of Zax's will power prevented him from fainting before his hosts.

"The tiefling called Zahax...do you know why we have brought you here?", asked the large black snake with the humanoid head in a perfect Central Grommish accent.

"I don't suppose its to apologize?", asked the tiefling dismissively. Zax knew he could show no fear to these beasts, but hoped his last flippant line did not cross the line. The last thing he wanted was to insult the monsters and cause them to attack him anyways.

The man headed snake bobbed its head and smiled,"I heard our raid to capture you resulted in many losses , however I was told your actual capture was quite simple. Venom spat into your face by a lesser yuan ti was all it took to take down the mighty Royal Adventurer Zax. Isn't that right Gammon? ", chuckled the creature.

The creature that Zax had called Blackscale scrambled forward and bowed to the man headed snake. Zax thought it had postured itself rather pitifully as it came forwards and bowed to its master. "Yes master Yiryu, through a chance meeting with the tiefling I managed to gain its confidence. When we discovered he was the Dancer of Dragon's flame , we tried to follow him but he evaded our grasp. To our delight, he somehow wandered close to our lair , so we decided to strike and capture him in force. It's true we lost many of our number to his companions, but we took him down with a single gob of poison to the face.", grovelled Blackscale.

The disguised snakeman then turned to the tiefling, and Zax saw genuine sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry Zahax...I really like you, you seemed like an alright tiefling decent almost. I didn't want it to come to this. I'm really sorry. ", he whispered softly before scrambling back to the crowd of creatures.

Zax wasn't sure what was going on , but it seemed he was captured because of his cursed blade. Did the creatures think he was some famous swordsman with an artificat? Like Lord Frank with his talking head lopping sword or Sir Kalidor with his dreaded Blackblade? If they did, the tiefling was going to use this to his advantage.

"Listen...Yiryu..or Yucky?...whatever they call you. I'm going to tell you guys right now, that this has gone down exactly as I planned.", said the tiefling smugly hiding the sheer terror that threatened to cause him to scream and wail like a little girl at any moment.

"Your plan?", scoffed Yiryu, "Are you tellling me you allowed yourself to be captured to be bled and eventually sacrificed so we can awaken Sertrous ?".

Bled and sacrificed? Those words sent a chill down Zax's spine, but he was determined not to show it. Not now at least, if they brought any sharp objects next to him he would probably break down, but he would not give his captors the pleasure of seeing him break down just yet. He wasn't sure who this Sertrous was , but it did not sound good. " Yes...my master plan! You see Yucky...I knew you and your friends were after me, so I decided to seek you out first. It was a patient game of cat and mouse you see, I wouldn't reveal myself so easily, that would be too obvious. However a glimpse of Dragon's Flame here... a glimpse there soon brought you like moths to the fire. "

Yiryu gazed at the tiefling and dismissed his words. "I highly doubt you set a "trap" so...elaborate. You would not evade us for so long just to lure us in. I heard our brothers to the north captured you a few years ago, but miraculously you escaped. Their nest was almost completely destroyed, but I was told you were completely at their mercy, and only the intervention of the hated Warmaster saved you. I admit you have evaded our capture for awhile, but I think it was due to the false description that was given to us. We were told you were a woman with red hair, but clearly you are just a skinny orange tiefling. Although I guess you could pass for a female if dressed appropriately. ", laughed the monster.

Zax wasn't sure if he should be mad or insulted. Instead he decided to use this information to his advantage. "Hah! You think I am so easy to capture. That's what your northern brother's said before I destroyed them. That bit about the Warmaster was just a rumor I spread to deflect attention from my true power. You think a simple gob of poison is able to stop me. I just played the part of the prisoner so you could bring me to the heart of your lair. You've all been very cooperative to hasten your own doom , you fools!", stated Zax in a maniacal voice. For a second Zax saw the ring of scaley creatures take a step or slithered a foot backwards from his wild statement. The tiefling thought that maybe there was a chance he could still escape.

"Please...this game is tiresome. I examined you when they brought you in, and I can assure my cowardly underlings that there was no attempt at deception when you were curled up in a ball sobbing. We've taken your weapons, armor and magic. You are surrounded and defenseless. Even the blade Dragon's Flame is no longer at your side. I applaud you for hiding it so skillfully , but my magic discerned its location and we separated you from it. We don't need the blade, we just need your blood...", declared Yiryu. The creature seemed to tire of this game and motioned for a pair of the larger lizard folk to grab Zax. The two large creatures hesitated for a second before slowly approaching the tiefling.

Zax paused. An ace in the hole! Even if he couldn't actually draw Dragon's Flame , the mere sight of it might be enough to sow confusion into their ranks. If he did this right he would give himself enough time to run for it. It wasn't a great plan, but waiting to be caught, bled , and sacrificed seemed like a much worse one.

"How do you explain this!", declared Zax as he grabbed the cursed blade and waved it wildly above his head. Even though it was still sheathed, the sight of the ancient artifact struck fear into his foes . Even Yucky seemed panicked at the sight of the weapon. To Zax it looked like they were about to flee in terror, but suddenly a powerful voice from behind the human headed snake stopped the fleeing reptiles.

"SSSTOP! ", shouted a large lizard man with a frilled head . To Zax the creature looked like a nobler version of a common lizard folk or something to that extent. He guessed he was the true leader here, as even Yucky seemed to bow in shame at this creature. Zax guessed that it must have some supernatural hold over these creatures as he could sense them straining to flee , but were prevented by some form of hold this creature had over them.

"And who might you be?", scoffed Zax. The tiefling used his Ace, but he didn't play fair. He had another trick at his disposal.

"I am the Ssssarukh...the lord of Sssscale...", hissed the creature.

"So Sarukh of the lisp...you want my blood I take it. I challenge you to fight me to the death to take it. No holding back...a duel between equals ,winner lives, loser dies. ", challenged Zax. The tiefling hoped the creature would take the bait, with Dragon's Flame at his side, he knew he could win a duel to the death. Due to the restrictions of the blade, any other fight however would end up badly for him though.

The creature hissed angrily. "I do not ssseeek your death. I wissssh only to bleed you till you are dry . Blood to raise Ssssertrous ... To ssssacrifice your life for hissssss..". The monster waved the reluctant ring of reptiles forward again and through his force of will they slowly advanced towards the tiefling, careful of their now armed captive.

Zax was in a panic now. The creature didn't take his bait. He wondered if started screaming at the top of his lungs and begin whining like a little girl would be sufficient to make the creatures release him. Zax took a deep breath and prepared a panic filled screech.

*FOOMMM*

A pillar of holy fire descended onto Sarukh , engulfing the noble lizardman and Yiryu in its righteous blaze. Yiryu thrashed in surprise but seemed relatively unhurt. Sarukh however screached in anger as it ran from the room while on fire. When the noble lizardman ran, whatever hold he had on his subjects suddenly vanished. Mass chaos seemed to erupt from his former thralls, as they scattered in chaos.

Zax wasn't sure what was happening, but he was fully prepared to join the chaos and run around mindlessly. It didn't seem like a good plan, but random fleeing seemed like a viable option when stuck in an unknown underground lair full of monsters. Before the tiefling could put his plan into effect , a slender but strong hand grasped his arm.

"We have to get out.", whispered Sharliss . Zax wasn't sure how she got here, but she was a friendly face. The tiefling nodded and followed the priestess as they fled into the darkness.

* * *

><p>"Apple...apple...apple...apple...",thought the pony.<p>

He wasn't sure why , but he craved an apple at the moment. Not just any apple, but one of those apples that the orange humanoid presented him with. Other apples were tasty, but the special apple's from the orange creature put the pony into a special place happy place.

The pony could go a day or two without the special apples, but without them he would begin to shake and his craving for them would just grow more intense. With them however, everything seemed better to the pony. He suffered no pain, had no fatigue, even dragging heavy wagons seemed like a trivial task.

The pony couldn't recalled much of his past. He remembered a short hairy creature training him to fight , kick and bite short green men, but that was a life time ago. These days all he worried about was doing whatever mundane tasks was required of him, and getting rewarded by those special apples.

The pony didn't have any special attachment to anyone , but he did feel attached to the orange humanoid. Only because he gave him the apples. The Grey haired girl smelled of apples, but the pony thought it mainly because she was the mate of the orange creature. She didn't actually gave him any special apples, so she ranked a distant second to those that the pony would obey.

For some reason the pony received no apple today. There was no sign of the orange man. The grey hair girl , and the small white ogre creature did not seemed too concerned about getting him a special apple, but that was the number one worry to the pony. The ogre harnessed the pony, but there was no way he would work without his treat.

The pony thought he better take things into his own hands. Although he didn't see any sign of the orange creature, he could smell him. Even though the grey haired girl harnessed him to the heavy cart and it was through rough terrain, the pony trotted his way methodically following the scent.

"Apple...apple...apple...", were the only thoughts in the drug addled pony's mind.

* * *

><p>"You know...I always thought Zax was joking about fleeing into the woods and becoming a druid...but looking at how loyal his pony is to him , I think he might be onto something. ", declared Darwen as Bucky pulled the wagon.<p>

"Shouldn't we unhitch him or something. Wouldn't he go faster?", asked Isula surprised at the determined creature's quest to find his master.

"I don't think its wise to leave the wagon unguarded, especially with yuan ti around. Besides, we have to stop to unhitch him. Bucky is moving pretty briskly . We couldn't stop to unhitch him even if we wanted to .", said the elf with a smile.

"Truly this is a loyal beast then. Zax's empathy to animals must surely be great indeed. ", declared the giant with new respect to the tiefling.


	38. Chapter 38

"Where are we ?", complained Zax uncomfortably as he crouched fearfully inside the crack in the wall .

"We are in the underdark, the shadowlands, the Realm Below...", replied Sharliss a whisper away with a grim tone. The priestess was in the same narrow crack in the wall as Zax, but did not seem discomforted by her position. She scanned the adjacent tunnel warily for their pursuers.

Zax shuddered. Like everyone else, he had heard of the lands below the surface. They were a system of tunnels and caverns. Some were natural fissures, and caverns...others were created or tunneled by the foul denizens that inhabited the sunless world. During the early reign of Alphonso, the Demon king lead a retaliatory expedition into these realms in revenge for a failed bid for conquest by the dark elves. To everyone's surprise he was successful and enslaved and scattered much of the drow population. Grom and its dwarven allies had kept a series of outposts underground over there new conquests but as the Empire crumbled so did its presence. The last Grommish underground province in Denzalow retreated during the Bannon Rebellion , and since then the various foul citizens of the dark had slowly taken over. The tiefling heard wild tales that dark dwarves, squid mages, slimy fish beasts, and even mushroom men were busy carving out kingdoms left in the power vacuum. It came to no shock to Zax that snake men would take refuge in here as well.

"Err.. you know your way out right?", asked Zax nervously as the shadows danced around him. Even though the tiefling could see in the dark, he was unused to the alien tunnels around him. The closest he had been to such an environment was in the troll caverns in the Shattered mountains, and that was a vastly different experience. Too begin with he had three well armed guards with him, not a slip of a girl.

Zax paused and he looked at Sharliss as he considered his last thought. "Err...have you grown?", he queried the priestess carefully. The tiefling recalled something about her having a growth spurt awhile ago. At the time he dismissed it as a reason she came up with to shop for new clothes. However since he met her a mere five weeks ago, Zax was sure she had grown several more inches and seemed much more mature . The thin fresh faced young girl was replaced by a pretty young woman. The tiefling would have noticed that easily in Lower Lueders, but recently his vision was only focused on Darwen. However as the two snuck through the tunnels , their close proximity together had opened his eyes.

"Observant as always?", sighed Sharliss . She looked and listened for their pursuers but saw no sign of them. "I'm surprised you don't know this, since you are a tiefling. As a race we descend from a wide variety of lower denizens. Great variances between the power and nature of our forebearerers exist. In my case I am assuming I have a strong chaotic bloodline, thus causing me to age at greater rate then you. ...and no...I do not know if I will stop aging at a certain point, or burn out in a few more years. I thought I told you this when you first came to our wagon?".

"Sorry...I was thinking about something else at the time...", explained Zax , which was perfectly true since all he could remember from the wagon was recollecting the nature of Sharliss's mother. "I'm sorry ...", he added , not knowing what else to say.

"Don't be sorry. I've accepted it awhile ago. There could be much worse fates then mine. In fact, I think I am very lucky . I've been found by loving parents, and have been given opportunities that most people don't have. It looks bad right now, but I know it will all turn out. We will get out of here, we will warn my father, we will find Sarin...Even though it looks grim right now, I have faith in our abilities. If we die, then at least we tried till the end. I will have at least lived my life with few regrets.", the priestess said with a genuine smile.

Zax looked at her as if she was had just arrived from the astral plane. How could she be so calm about everything? Especially when their deaths were so imminent. If they died right now, Zax would have plenty of regrets. Not rubbing Lady Nayra's nose into his new found status, not getting to sail to Irendi with Darwen, and not getting to spend the boat loads of cash he had recently accumulated . These were some of his immediate regrets . The tiefling looked at the serene priestess and wondered how she could be so relaxed about everything.

Zax studied her expression carefully in the dark, and noticed a distant longing in her eyes. He saw her weakness. The tiefling knew now was not the time to expose it, but due to his playful nature, and his penchant for starting trouble he couldn't resist. "You said you had little regrets. That means you do have one or two right?", Zax asked slyly.

Sharliss took a deep breath and surprised Zax by giving him a defeated look. "Was it that obvious? Yes I do have one regret in life...but there's nothing I can do about it now. ", the priestess said in sad cryptic tone.

Zax had no clue what she was talking about, but that had never stopped him before. " I regret never becoming a starting lemball player too. ", teased Zax , not knowing what her true source of dismay was. The tiefling found a joke normally relaxed the person he was subtly questioning, and it might cause her to reveal something she normally wouldn't.

Sharliss smiled at the jest, Zax's plan had appeared to work. " It wouldn't have worked out anyways. Halvor is the son of a Baron, at best I would have been a mistress or a concubine to him. His company was nice while it lasted though.", she said wistfully.

Zax could sense flood works coming. He originally questioned her because he was curious and he couldn't stand how calm and collected the priestess was , but now worried that his subtle taunts would cause his only hope for salvation to lose her composure. Besides a brief encounter against the trolls, Zax wasn't sure how competent the priestess was. All he knew was that she somehow rescued him, could beat him in a sword fight, and knew magic. All things that indicated that he would need her more then she needed him in this underground hell hole.

"Look...don't worry about Halvor. You don't need him anyways. You'll forget him soon enough. If I recall, weren't you head over heals interested in me a few weeks ago. ", teased Zax nervously. The tiefling hoped further attempts at humor would diffuse the situation. Otherwise he would be in a heap of trouble.

Sharliss looked at Zax and for the first time the tiefling had ever recalled, her pale white skin turned beat red. She shyly turned to the side and chuckled, "That was different. With you , I had a ... childhood crush on my hero... ", she explained in embarrassment.

Zax puffed out his chest with a cocky grin on his face, "What? I'm not your hero anymore? I am a Royal Adventurer you know.", in a ridiculous mocking tone.

The priestess giggled at the tiefling, "Of course you're still my hero. You saved me from the hag queen , fended off the troll, and volunteered to aid me when no one else would. It's just that...with Halvor it was different..he...wait...", Sharliss commanded with a whisper, as the pair of tieflings went perfectly still.

Four tall and lanky lizard men followed by two scaly humanoids marched and hissed down the tunnel. They were obviously searching for the pair, but seemed inept at their efforts. The tight crevice the two were in masked their presence effectively. Zax wondered if Sharliss was also employing illusions of some sort, but his familiarity with magic made it impossible for him to tell.

Several minutes after the patrol had passed, Sharliss easily slipped out of the tight crack. Zax had trouble moving from being cramped in the area so long, but the priestess helped him out with a strong hand.

"Are you sure its safe? What if there's more?", asked Zax nervously as he stretched to regain his circulation.

"I'm sure there's more. However, I doubt a patrol will follow so closely to another patrol. ", the priestess explained as she scanned the tunnel.

Zax was about to ask another useless question , when Sharliss suddenly threw him a crude sword. "Here, I took this off a lizard man I waylaid while infiltrating into this area. Its built on a ruin manor house. I'm guessing either the owner was expanding his wine cellar too deep, or our friends here dug up to his basement. In either case that's our only exit at the moment. ", said the priestess as the tiefling deftly caught the weapon.

"Won't they be waiting for us there?", asked Zax already knowing the answer.

"Yes...but I think they might have to wait awhile. ", smiled Sharliss with an evil grin.

* * *

><p>Gammon hated his lot in life.<p>

It was bad enough he was a pureblooded yuan ti, the lowest of the low in the snake man hierarchy, but he was also tasked at infiltrating human society. Normally that wouldn't have been a bad assignment . Living as a fake human was infinitely better then being bossed around by hybrid or abomination snakemen twice or up to ten times your size. However for Gammon, his job was to infiltrate society as a tiefling. The pureblooded snakeman was human looking enough to be looked down upon by his race, but still too scaly enough to pass as a human. Instead he had to scrounge a living as a reviled and outcast tiefling.

Initially Gammon hated tieflings. Not because of their unusual evil nature, but because they were so pathetic. Instead of forming their own enclaves in the wilderness to battle the accursed humans, they lived in slums and shanties amongst their oppressors. Snakemen at least knew their rightful place in the world. They were caretakers of a lost ancestry. All yuan ti knew that one day they would resurrect their dead god Sertrous and lesser races would bow to their rightful scaly masters. Tieflings were suck ups , trying to exist on the scraps of the weak and decadent human society.

Living with the "hated" tieflings however, changed Gammon's view on things. Unexpectedly, he came to grudgingly respect them. Even though they were still bottom feeders in his eyes, at least they treated each other with some modicum of respect. Something that Gammon did not receive amongst the structured caste society of the yuan ti. If a tiefling worked hard and made something of himself he could advance far in society, his "friend" Zahax was proof of this. The strange effeminate orange tiefling somehow rose to the rank of Royal Adventurer . Gammon witnesses some of his remarkable deeds first hand, and to his regret was one of the spies that reported the sword Dragon's Flame in the orange tiefling's possession.

Gammon wasn't sure what the big deal about the sword was, but he knew his superiors wanted the owner of the blade. The reluctant yuan ti did not want to betray Zahax, but did so due to both physical and mental domination by his masters. Not only did he fear the the threat of beatings and cannibalism for failure, but the hidden masters had some sort of powerful mental sway over all yuan ti's minds. Gammon thought he might have fought it, or at least fled from his masters, but he chose the easy way out. He betrayed his "fellow" tiefling.

Not that fleeing didn't constantly cross his mind. In fact, the faux tiefling intend to do just that. Gammon's plan was to betray Zahax to his yuan ti kin. Then he would take his stuff and flee to either Northern Grom or the Empire of Thyatis . He knew the tiefling was wealthy, and was delighted to find that he possessed not one but two magical bags of holding. He hid the items after Zahax was put down by poison, and bided his time patiently. He expected to flee when he would return to his post to the city, but the attack on the Grand Sarukh threw everything in chaos.

Now was the perfect time for him to run. Zahax's sacrifice would mean he would have the opportunity to live like a King somewhere far away from his Brood. All he had to do was slink to the burned out ruins, and sneak off during the confusion . If he was questioned he would say he was attempting to recapture Zahax. A simple enough task. The guards would never let him leave normally , but in the turmoil of the tieflings escape , Gammon was sure he could convince them that he was needed to sweep the surrounding wilderness up above.

Gammon rehearsed his story as he approached the check point. The yuan ti paused as he noted an eerie silence before him. This place should be filled with guards and guardians, but it was strangely empty. Did Zahax come this way , and the guards gave chase? Even if they did , they would have left someone behind.

As Gammon wondered the guard's fate, a chill ran down his reptilian spine. A pool of blood slowly began to leak from behind a wall onto the ground before him. The snake man turned and ran, but something struck his back and pushed him to the ground. He was pinned under a great weight, and he felt repeated slams of a metal object on his shoulders and head. The fake tielfing thrashed momentarily under the vicious assault till he expired.

* * *

><p>"Bucky! Bucky stop!", cried Darwen shocked at the carnage she was witnessed. The pony had lead them to a burned out manor, but continued unabated inside. It eventually stopped when the wagon couldn't proceed further in, and Isula and Darwen both decided to release the pony from its harness and continue to follow it. The trio found a nest of snakemen and promptly destroyed the group with Bucky leading the charge. Darwen had hoped to take a prisoner but the loyal pony was too driven to find its missing master to relent from its attack. All were slain, even this straggler the now laid stomped before her.<p>

As the elf began to chastise the beast, she noticed it had stopped its attacks and began sniffing the stomped snakeman's pockets. To her surprise it retrieved an apple and happily ate it, its blood lust sated. Darwen immediately recognized some of the creature's gear. It was Zax's. They were close.

* * *

><p>"but..but...I don't have any armor...", complained Zax as Sharliss dragged him back into the snake man's lair.<p>

"Oh you don't need it. Armor just slows someone as quick as you down. Besides , I already enchanted you with mage armor, that should be plenty.", smiled Sharliss as she misinterpreted Zax's whining for comedic relief to raise her bravado.

Zax regretted that his fearsome heroic image was so effective. He would have thought that Sharliss would have seen through it, but the priestess definitely thought he was some sort of swashbuckling fencer. If this was under another circumstance, he would have slapped some sense into her , but several factors stopped him. First, he knew she could probably kick his ass and the last thing he wanted was an ass kicking. Second , she was the only person that knew the way out. Third, he was ashamed to admit, but he wondered if he could negotiate her life in exchange for his from the snakemen. It seemed ridiculously craven and cowardly even for himself, but Zax reasoned that they wanted him because of his proximity with the sword. If they knew she was the daughter of the former sword's owner then they might want her instead. He heard Sarin mentioned she was adopted , but the snakemen didn't have to know that. She had enough subtle demonic taints about her that would make his story about her background believable, at least plausible enough to make a deal with his scaly pursuers.

"My plan is simple, the snakemen are mostly out looking for you. We'll just double back and incapacitate their leaders.", said Sharliss confidently.

Zax's eyes narrowed as he considered her course of action. "Yup ...definitely gonna use you as a bargaining chip.", he whispered softly.

"What did you say?", asked the priestess as she heard bits of Zax's mumbling.

"Oh..nothing important. I just wanted to know if it was so simple to slay the leaders in the first place, why didn't you do so when you had them all in one place.", said Zax sarcastically.

"Oh don't be silly. They had all their guards with them. I can't fight so many alone. However, you're healed and armed now. With myself backing you up, you'll be sure to defeat them.", grinned Sharliss confidently.

"Errr... I think you over estimate my powers.", pointed out Zax to the confused priestess.

"Nonsense...I saw you defeat the Boar Lord while on Rameriz's ship. You rode out on your own and you liberated that entire fortress in the mountains. You even pretended to be captured just to rescue Darwen . Lastly you saved me from the Avatar of Myleka . Thrashing a few snakemen should be a piece of cake for you, especially with Dragon's flame at your side. I can't wait to see you fight with two weapons. ", teased Sharliss while pointing at the invisible blade and the weapon she gave him.

Zax paused and he recalled the often forgotten weapon at his side. After all this time, the weapon still had the ability to cloud his mind and make him forget he had it sometimes. It was true he could summon forth deadly skill with it, but only if the enemy was assured to kill him. That may or may not be the case in the coming battle, but he knew it wasn't infallible. He recalled being frozen by the ogre mage, and almost flatten by the boar lord even with the blade in his hand. Zax looked at the optimistic priestess and then a smile crept to his face.

"You know...I'm not at 100% full fighting capacity you know. If you've ever watched me fight at my best, you know I like to battle with the blade and dragon golem . With out my dragon golem , I feel kind of awkward ...I'm not sure if I can take the snake man leaders, Sassyrook and Yucky or whatever their names are. ", complained Zax with his best defeated voice. The truth was the tiefling had begun considering his dragon golem a liability in combat. He's only hit once with the damn weapon. He bought it to make him look tough and dangerous and in most instances he just waved the thing around. The first time he fired it it struck the hag queen squarely, but he had never been able to duplicate another strike again. He chalked it up to blind luck.

Sharliss looked at the tiefling and sighed. She then retrieved a case from a dainty pouch at her side. Zax noticed immediately that the case was much larger then the pouch and wondered if everyone had a magical bag of holding of some sort.

"I wanted to give this to you when we reached Barkwark and secured a boat. I don't expect you to come with me up north, but I wanted to leave you with this gift. Its a dragon golem made by the weapon smith's of Leeha . Don't worry its enchanted to adjust in size for its wielder. It was given to me by my dear friend Trip, but I think he would have approved if a hero like you wielded it. ", stated the priestess as she bowed humbly to Zax while presenting him with the weapon.

Zax tentatively took the weapon , and opened the case. It was an exquisitely forged weapon, made from halfling silver, mammoth ivory , and the rarest woods. It seemed perfectly balanced in his hands and he marveled at the device.

"I will use this to the best of my ability.", the tiefling said without thinking. His hero persona temporarily overwhelming his commonsense as he was awe struck by the gift. He instinctively took the dragon powder horn , and the ammo and filled the weapon haphazardly with it.

"What...what are you doing! ", exclaimed Sharliss in shock as she watched Zax carelessly load the weapon.

"Err...I'm loading the weapon silly...that's how it works... if the dragon doesn't have the right powder to eat ..it won't go ...bang...", he said slowly and smugly at the startled priestess.

"No..no...no...you're doing it wrong. It's powder, lead, wadding, then a sprinkle of powder on the flash pan. That's how Trip taught me. ", explained the surprised priestess.

"Err...are you sure ? I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing. I am the hero. ", sniffed Zax in annoyance. "Err...what's wadding and where's the flash pan ?", the tiefling relented as his survival instinct overwhelmed his ego.

"Oh give me that !" , exclaimed Sharliss as she took the dragon golem from Zax and demonstrated the proper procedure.

* * *

><p>Yiryu curled around his chair , staring coldly at Lord Sarukh. Yiryu hated the creature before him, but was powerless to do anything but obey his whims. Sarukh was a creature of an ancient bloodline. A son of Sertrous . He had the ability to command all creatures descended from that dread god . That long list included lizard folk, yuan ti, troglodytes and to Yiryu's bitter disappointment...nagas.<p>

Yiryu thought himself to be superior in everyway to Sarukh. He was much more intelligent then the frilled Sarukh, mastering many languages and skills, while his lord could barely speak common. His magical powers were also vast, compared to that of his lord. Yiryu could rend the very fabric of an opponent into dust, while Sarukh could raise the morale slightly in his allies. Something a glass of wine could do , scoffed the naga. Lastly, Yiryu thought himself much more imaginative then his lord. If he wasn't under the compulsions of his frilled lord, Yiryu would have disguised himself as a human and attempted to join the Royal Adventurers. Some of his former allies and acquaintances had already done so in the past to their great benefit. Lord Kerr of the many eyes , Agrimar the Bronze, and Valhus of the mindflayer to name a few. Yiryu was sure he could "snake" his way into that organization and live like royalty amongst the humans, instead of this miserable existence in a cave. His lord's imagination was laughable at best. He even named himself after his race. That was akin to Yiryu calling himself Naga .

Despite his reservation over his position, Yiryu knew he was powerless to change it. It was something that even magic could not break , Sarukh's hold over him was too ingrained in his fabric to resist. He was unable to resist his frilled master's demands. His lord's current scaled brain scheme involved capturing a demigod to sacrifice to their dead god Sertrous. Sarukh had heard that their allies the northern Yuan ti had also attempted such a task, before they were wiped out of course. They were seeking mortals that attempted to walk the path of divinity. From his sources , the wielder of Dragon's Flame was one of the candidates they sought . A red headed woman with cold yellow eyes was the description given to the naga. Zax definitely wielded the blade, but he definitely didn't have red hair and was not a woman. Although Yiryu admitted that the skinny tiefling could possibly pass for one in the right light.

"Thisssss issss taking tooo long. Where issss my sssacrifice !", demanded Sarukh in his trademark hissing lisp.

Yiryu considered explaining to his lord that the underdark was a vast place. Their prey could have fled anywhere. However, he had tried to explain once and was met with a blank stare. Sarukh seldom left the brood and had little idea how vast the local network of tunnels were.

"We will retrieve him soon. ", replied Yiryu for lack of a better answer.

"You better not fail usssss! There will be conssssequencesssss! ", threatened Sarukh.

Yiryu rolled his eyes. What was his stupid lord going to do? Kill him ? Cast him out? Anything would be better then serving this dim wit. His only claim to power was the blood that flowed through his veins. He was like one of those inbred human monarchs that he delighted hearing tales about.

"I await the return of the rest of my scouts. They will give us a better idea of where our prey has headed. I doubt they made their way to the surface. Since they are tieflings , they might be headed to the city of ... Denzalow ", answered Yiryu subserviently to his lord.

"The city of Drowssss?", hissed Sarukh in surprise.

"The former city of the Drow. It is now a free city , an almost lawless community that sees trade and commerce from the various underground factions. Tieflings being one of them. ", replied Yiryu in disdain. The drow had fallen hundreds of years ago, but his stupid lord was still too confused to realize this.

"Do the fissshesss tradesss there?", hissed the frilled lord.

"Yes...Sahuagin , the Aboleth...even kuo toa have dealings there. As you know...one of the strengths of the city of Denzalow is being connected to the ocean. Even the occasional renegade sea elf, and of course the accursed Grommers trade there as well.", sighed Yiryu at his master's ignorance.

"Hmmm... I didn't know that. Perhapsss we will paysss the city a visssit after we awaken Ssssertrousss.", shrugged Sarukh nonchalantly.

Yiryu scoffed inwardly at the idea. Not just the part of awaking Sertrous but of Sarukh actually leaving the lair. He raged inwardly at the incompetence and sloth of his master, and considered saying something sarcastic to him and watch it go over his head. It was a small sign of rebellion , but it gave Yiryu a small measure of pleasure.

As Yiryu considered a suitable veiled insult to his master, the soft sounds of footsteps broke his concentration. His scouts had returned.

The naga wrapped himself around his chair and awaited the report. He anchored himself tightly , so he could raise his body at ease over the tardy scouts . Mainly to intimidate his servants, but it also put him in good position to devour them if they did not show him the proper respect. He waited eagerly for the report.


	39. Chapter 39

Yiryu darted to the side as he sensed something was wrong.

The returning scouts seemed normal enough, however the dark naga sensed a minor illusionary aura about them. Yiryu wasn't sure why, but he expected something was amiss as he bolted from his chair like an arrow.

Sarukh looked at his chief servant in surprise just as the dais the two occupied erupted into a ball of fire. The ancient lizard man hissed in pain as fire engulfed him.

Yiryu had hoped the fire would slay his master but unfortunately he knew such magics would annoy him at best. If given a choice he would have fled the battle and regrouped, but reluctantly he felt compelled to rally his forces against the unknown attackers.

"Protect our Lord!", the naga shouted grudgingly as he uttered a spell to dispel the illusion of their attackers.

As he guessed, the scouts were not who they appeared as. The two unremarkable looking lizards were exposed . One was the their escape captive , Sir Zax or Lady Zahax . Yiryu wasn't sure or didn't care to examine the effeminate tiefling too closely to determine its gender, but the fiendish half breed's ambiguous sex did not surprise him. They were a depraved and foul race after all. The other attacker was a young woman. She wore a short dark dress, and had pitch black hair. The naga could tell immediately that her hair was dyed and wondered to himself if she was also a tiefling of some sort. Regardless of her heritage, he knew that an opportunity had presented itself.

Yiryu had expected no less then a demi god . To strike at them in their own lair meant that the attackers were powerful. That was obvious if the tiefling was indeed the Dancer of Dragon's Flame. The naga would engage the weaker of the two , hoping that the more powerful tiefling would battle his lord. If all worked out, then the tiefling would slay Sarukh and he would be free to pursue his dark machinations at his own leisure. He knew his master could order him to fight the both of them so he just had to convince his lord of that plan.

"I think the girl is a caster my lord. Please let me handle her myself ! ", roared Yiryu as he sprang once again like a spear into the fray. The naga hoped his lord would pair off against the tiefling but was dismayed when he saw Sarukh was too busy smothering the flames on his robes. A dozen guards rushed to their masters defense and Yiryu despaired. If the tiefling slew them too easily, then his lord would probably flee. Most likely using himself as a screen or a shield to make his escape.

The naga cursed himself for his faulty plan, and his cowardly lord for not following it. He concentrated at the task at hand and hoped to wrap his coils around the girl and crush her slowly. He wanted her to scream loudly to at least show Saurkh that his faithful servant was out to protect his best interests.

Yiryu landed heavily into the ground . The girl he was attacking nimbly jumped to the side, and uttered a spell. The naga cursed as his body was engulfed in a bolt of lightning. He was inadvertently correct in telling her lord that she was a spell caster. He caught the blast fully, his flesh and scales sparking and frying from her spell , but he noted that it was unexceptional in its power. Thankfully she was not a master wizard.

Yiryu stared at the woman with his overpowering gaze, ignoring the rest of the battle. It was his signature power, it could break men's wills and reduced them to his slaves, and he doubt the woman could resist. To the naga's shock, the woman did not turn away or avoid his gaze. Yiryu thought she would either impair herself during the battle by closing her eyes or flee altogether. He didn't expect her to make it so easy by gazing directly back at him. The naga hoped she didn't end the fight prematurely. He did not relish aiding his lord.

The woman looked into Yiryu's eyes before swiftly drawing a heavy broad blade. It was a weapon used by the accursed knights of the north, and the over sized weapon looked odd on the slight woman. The naga felt a pang of fear and anger. Fear due to the memory of the knight's crusades centuries ago that drove him and his evil brethren underground. Anger because her combat stance reminded Yiryu so much of his persecutors. Despite the weapon's bulk, the girl wielded the blade exactly like a northern knight. She plunged the weapon into the naga's side, slicing flesh and bone, and burning Yiryu with holy fire.

The naga twisted and thrashed wildly in pain , battering the girl to the side. Even though he felt some sort of protective abjuartion around her, the snake monster grinned as his attack over powered her defenses as he heard the girl's bones snap from his vicious tail slap. Yiryu turned to his own injury and uttered a quick spell and his wounds slowly closed. The naga still felt unmended bones and missing scales at his side but the majority of the injury was healed. With his body restored he faced his attacker once more . He hoped to toy with his wounded prey but found the girl once again with sword ready staring into his eyes. Even more shocking was that she appeared completely unwounded.

Yiryu was sure he had snapped her bones. Did she have healing magic as well? Why was she unaffected by his gaze? Was she human?

The naga had no chance to answer his own questions as the girl swiftly darted forward with her blade in hand.

* * *

><p>A wave of lizard men and snake men charged Zax . The tiefling wasn't sure what was happening, but he had hoped the initial spell assault by Sharliss would be enough to end the battle. He knew that the priestess could work magic , but didn't know she had such a strong mastery of it. The spell she threw was a more exploding ball type spell, rather then the pillar of fire she used earlier. Zax was unfamiliar with both and thought they both looked impressive, however her attack just seemed to enrage their enemies.<p>

Sharliss did not seem too concerned after her initial strike and rushed the robed lizardman named Sucky during the confusion. Zax made an attempt to follow her , but made sure she was in the lead. The priestess seemed to know what she was doing, and if things went bad he could always turn around and flee. After a few steps , Yucky the snake man tackled her to the side. Zax wasn't sure if she was slain, but he found himself alone before Sucky the head honcho.

The good news was that Sucky seemed too preoccupied with his burning robe then directing his attention at the tiefling. The bad news was his guards surged forwards and charged the reluctant hero.

"Keep him alive! We need him for a ssssacrifice!", shouted Sucky as he attempted to save his fine garments.

Zax was frozen in fear. If they tried to kill him, at least Dragon's flame would help. With Sharliss engaged or slain by Yucky, he faced the dozen guards alone. He wondered if the mysterious sniper would swoop in and save him, but doubted his mysterious guardian had made it into these tunnels.

Zax recalled his lessons from Darwen. The elf blademaster told him that positioning was important when dealing with multiple foes. If he could get himself into an area that only allowed a few at him at a time he might be able to fend them off . He quickly scanned the room and saw no sign of any terrain to be used in his favor. Darwen also told him that if faced with overwhelming odds, pick one opponent and destroy him quickly. It would give the others pause and their ranks might slip and allow an opportunity to escape. Zax wasn't sure if he could take a single lizardman one on one, but his elven companion's advice seem sound.

The tiefling didn't like the crude long sword Sharliss had given him. She offered to trade it for her broadsword when he started to complain, but her weapon was even heavier . Despite his lack of training with this rough weapon, Zax rushed the largest lizard man at the had of the pack. The tiefling figured he would strike him down quickly, give one of his clever taunts and speeches, and watch the rest flee in terror . Zax knew his reputation was fierce, but just needed a single deadly strike to allow him to evoke it.

Zax lunged with the blade like a large rapier, but found the heavier weapon was too much for him to handle. The large lizard man easily deflected the blow, and to everyone's shock the weapon fell from the tiefling's grip. Zax had misjudged the weapons weight and his grip was not firm. His opponents paused , for a second they thought it was an elaborate ruse or feint by the tiefling. Zax knew they wouldn't hesitate for long and fell to the ground. He hoped his easy surrender would give him some leniency when they captured him. He knew he was going to be sacrificed regardless if he struggled or he didn't, but the tiefling had a strong aversion to beatings received from an angry mob.

"I give up! Please don't hurt me!", begged Zax as he rubbed his hands together in a pathetic show of cowardice.

The guards stopped and looked at their pleading foe. "I think its a trick. ", commented a snakeman in passable common.

"Let's pummel him before we capture him then.", responded the large lizardman that disarmed Zax.

"Noo...no more with the punching and kicking and the biting...", pleaded Zax. "Look, I'll get flat on my belly and put my hands over my head. See , its not a trick! Don't beat me up!", babbled the tiefling.

The gang of scaly guards mumbled amongst themselves. The large lizardman directed half of them to aid Yiryu then placed his heavy knee on Zax's back. "Great Sarukh! Are you sure this is the demi god you seek. He seems pretty pathetic for a demi god. He surrenders while his companion fights. ", he asked.

Sarukh had finally patted the flames out ."Where is Gammon? He ssshouldd know. He assssured usss that this creature wieldsss Dragon'sss Flame. Did we not sssseee it earlier?", he hissed.

"I'm pretty sure we saw it earlier, but I don't see it now. He's using one of our guard blades. ", commented the large lizard man.

"Ssssubdue him , I have questionssss.", declared Sarukh.

* * *

><p>Sharliss saw that the battle had not gone according to plan. The head Sarukh had some sort of magical resistance and avoided her initial strike. The priestess glanced and saw the creature more concerned with his fancy robes then the battle before him. Although Sharliss had held her own against the Spirit Naga, she saw Zax overwhelmed by a wave of guards. She had hoped that together the pair my be able to defeat the Sarukh quickly , but their opponents proved more resourceful then she had expected.<p>

The naga lunged at the priestess again. Even though it had a humanoid head its teeth were clearly that of a snake's. Sharliss focused on the fight before her, and easily parried its attack with her broadsword. The creature bit the weapon, and did not seem injured biting into the sharp blade. It tried to wrench the weapon out of her grasp, pitting its vast strength against hers. It almost succeeded, but the priestess calmly gave a swift kick to the creature's lower jaw. Her unexpected blow stunned it as she easily withdrew the blade from the naga's mouth. Before the monster could strike again, she gave a quick but weak slash to the monster's face.

Sharliss would never attempt such a blow against a regular opponent. She did not get a chance to bring the deceptive strength of her shoulders and hips into the blade . The lack of power from such a strike would never penetrate any sort of man made armor, and certainly not the naga's enchanted scales. The priestess however was hoping finesse and speed would work when power and strength wouldn't. Her blade lightly slashed the monster's face before it could retreat. Though the attack was weak, by luck the edge of her sword caught the eye of the naga, and it flared with holy flame.

The naga's eye exploded from steel and fire. It writhed and thrashed in pain once more, but Sharliss was ready for his pained throes this time. She hopped back and instead of striking her down foe with her sword, she readied a spell that was a favorite of her fathers.

Although arcane magic was much more offense oriented then divine incantations , the divine realm did have a few combat worthy spells. One of course, was the ring of blades. It was meant to keep attackers away from the priest, but her father taught her that an aggressive cleric could change the nature of a battlefield with it. Sharliss had focused mainly on healing and morale boosting prayers in her training, but if the Warmaster of the Great Host tells you to keep a ring of blades prayer handy , you ready a ring of blades prayer.

A dozen small swords erupted from the priestess. Each assumed a steady orbit around Sharliss as they twirled and sliced hypnotically in the air. Sharliss hesitated for a second, but saw she had to act if she was to help Zax. She took a deep breath and walked into the thrashing snake.

The twirling blades stopped their graceful dance, and converged like an angry swarm on the blinded naga. They tore into his flesh mercilessly as their orbits engulfed the creature.

"AAAIEEEEEEEEEEE!", screached the monster as it was systematically stripped of its flesh and scales.

Sharliss shuddered at her frightful act, and prayed to Koryis for forgiveness.

* * *

><p>"AAAIEEEEEEEEEEEE!", screeched Yucky somewhere unseen but nearby.<p>

Even though it was an opponent's cry, Zax's flesh crawled from the frightful scream.

The large lizardman slammed his fist into the back of Zax's head. The tiefling's skull flared in white pain as his head battered into the hard stone floor. Zax wasn't sure what happened next, but he could hear the lizardman hiss orders in an unknown language to his compatriots.

Zax was surprised that the creature's smooth common could so easily switch into the hissing lizard speech. In fact , all of the creature's had a strong command on the common tongue, except their leader Sucky.

As the tiefling pondered logistics he felt the large lizard guard's weight off him. He assumed that his captors thought the last blow had knocked him unconscious, which he admitted wasn't too far from the truth. Zax turned and saw Sharliss being descended on , by the dozen guards that he had surrendered to earlier. Fortunately she was protected by a swirling mass of small blades, that chopped and shredded her incoming attackers.

Zax shuddered at the horrific sight , and remembered that her mother was the terrible darkness. He reminded himself that despite her innocent appearance, something darker and more sinister laid inside her beguiling shell. Even though he somehow over came his fear of her mother, it brought chills to the tiefling when he remembered his brief encounters with her. As he laid on the stone floor he questioned what was he doing here. Why was he helping this spawn of that terrible creature? Was the sword manipulating him? Dragon's Flame belonged originally to the Terrible Darkness...was it subtly pushing him to go north and rejoin her?

The thought brought Zax into the edge of terror. He would have rolled up, curl into a ball , and gibber mindlessly if his life wasn't in such immediate danger. Even though they did not mean to kill him immediately, the tiefling had heard them toss around the word sacrifice a few too many times then he liked.

Despite the blow to his head, he forced himself upwards. The guards were preoccupied with Sharliss. He had gone along with the priestess's attack, and it had failed horribly. He was going to go with Plan B now...run away!

As Zax was about to flee. Sucky uttered a deafening arcane word. It silenced the entire room and even drowned out the dread scream by Yucky the snake creature.

Zax saw the room grow a little duller. The blades around Sharliss disappeared and she was surrounded by the lizard and snake men. She fought valiantly but Zax knew she would be overwhelmed soon. He also saw Yucky start shouting spells ineffectively, but cursed and wailed as there was no effect. He felt the armor spell that the priestess had placed on him also vanish, and soon came to a realization what was happening.

"Anti magic.", coughed the tiefling. He recalled that Governor Kerr of Lower Lueders kept control over his city with it. It was rumored that he had other powers, but his most frightful power was to strip magic from any area he gazed upon. An extremely dangerous power , especially in a society built around spells and enchantments . Zax remembered first hand, how the Governor turned him into stone with a simple gaze and returned him to flesh with another, and shuddered at what other powers Kerr possessed.

Before Zax could run, he found himself face to face with Sucky their leader. The oddly shaped creature was slightly smaller then the large lizard folk guards and cut off his route of escape. The creature had a more primitive reptilian look to him then the rest of his minions and despite his humorous speech impediment, Zax found himself terrified to the core by this creature.

"Your ssssword will not be of any assssissstance to you. I have placed thisss entire rooom under the gaze of Ssssertroussss.", hissed the creature proudly.

Zax glanced to the side and saw Sharliss strike down the first lizardman guard mercilessly. She had executed Darwen's advice perfectly. Her foes seemed to pause from her vicious attack , but Sucky waved his hand at them. The guards seemed compelled by the creature in front of him and they renewed their attack on the priestess fervently.

"No magicssss worksss here. Except the power of my blood. Not even your ssssword. ", the creature challenged as long claws seem to extend from his hands.

Zax considered his statement and he was correct. He could clearly see the weapon hang from his side. It was something he normally couldn't see or at least have trouble focusing on it. He gulped nervously as he faced Sucky and wondered what was going to happen next.

A thought came to Zax and he remembered he was now armed. He drew the inert Dragon's flame from its sheath and it easily escaped its scabbard. It was a much more balanced weapon then the crude weapon he was using before, and Zax felt a surge of hope in him. He wasn't that bad of a swordsman, he defeated the griffon knight Albin without it. He was confident with Darwen's training he might be able to defeat this creature.

Zax knew he had to end this quick before the guards finished Sharliss and concentrated on him. He gauged the creature's reach and gave a mighty slash towards it. Instead of his blade sinking deeply into lizard flesh, Sucky proved deceptively swift. The lizard lord batted the sword away and sliced Zax across the chest with his sharp nails. The tiefling staggered back and dropped the blade as he clutched his injured chest. He was bleeding profusely but it was luckily only a superficial wound. Zax stared at Sucky and saw a reptilian grin on the creature's face. He was toying with the tiefling.

"Itsss a ssshammee you bleedssss so easssily . I do not wisssh to wasssttee your blood. I sssuppossse we could keeep you a prissoner and ssslowwly bleeeed you . I've kept dark elvessss and dwarvessss alive for yearssss before doing that. It will be interessssting to ssseee how long I can bleed a tiefling and keep him alivvve..", the creature hissed arrogantly as he strode towards his prey.

Zax stumbled back and reached instinctively for his trusty club. Sadly it was not at his side. Zax could not recall if he had it with him when they first captured him , or was it still at the inn. Zax almost fell backwards as he slowly retreated . He then fumbled for his knife. He never used it as a weapon , but he was out of options at this point. He knew before that he didn't have it , but he hoped by some miracle that it was there. Zax felt the hard stone wall at his back, and he knew he was out of room to run.

He desperately drew the dragon golem that Sharliss had given him and pointed it at Sucky.

"A wandsss? Did you not hearsss meeees earlierr? No spellss or magicsss can work under the blesssing of Ssssertrousss.", the monster chuckled.

Zax knew it was futile as well. Even if magic did work in this area, he doubt the weapon could hit, or even affect his monster. Even if it worked, at best it would make a loud noise, and hopefully present him with an opening to flee. Regardless of the effectiveness of the weapon Zax , hoped he could at least use it as a club of some sort against the lizard leader. Although it batted his sword away easily, the creature might be surprised by the dragon golem used as a makeshift club.

"Stand back! I'll destroy you with thunder and lightning if you advance further. ", warned Zax in a voice that clearly betrayed his own lack of confidence of his own threat.

"Hisss hisssss...hisssss...", laughed the creature in a strange series of hisses.

"My minionsss ssssubdued you with the ssimpliesst of eassee. You would have been sssacrificed if it weren't for your priessstessss friend. At firssst sssign of a sssskirmisssh you sssurrender. And nowwsss attempt to ssscaree me with a wand in the blesssing of Ssssertrousss?", asked Sucky.

"Ssseeriously...do you expect me to be sssscared by your threatsss..."

*BANG*

Sarukh the lizard lord flew backwards as an unseen force that sounded like thunder struck his head. The lizard lord's face seemed to explode as something struck him with an unrelenting force. Zax himself fell backwards . He had fired dragon golem's before, but this particular model seemed to have much more kick then he was accustomed to.

The lizard and snake men guards paused from their attack on Sharliss. A heavy weight seemed to have lifted from their shoulders. As one they scattered from the room.

* * *

><p>"Freedom! ", hissed Yiryu as he slithered down the tunnels. Sarukh was slain, and his mind and will were his own again. Despite losing an eye , and the dreadful wounds inflicted on him by the priestess, the naga was swept up in euphoria.<p>

He began hatching plans as he made his way to the surface. He would take control of one of the nearby human towns. His deadly gaze would quickly reduce them to his slaves. From there he would consolidate his power and recruit more powerful minions. His ultimate goal was either carving out a small fiefdom for himself, or relocating to one of the larger human cities. He would either become a royal adventurer, or perhaps start a shadow syndicate. He admitted it that his plan was similar to that of the fool Sarukh's , but he had bigger and better goals then to chase myths and legends of dead gods. He was going to make this world give to him everything he deserved and he cared not how many humans or their allies he would have to sacrifice and manipulate to achieve it.

*Whack*

Yiryu did not see the blow as the butt of a giant spear crashed into his face.

"You hit it too hard Isula! I think its dead.", said Darwen as she prodded the now lifeless snake creature.

The giant shrugged, "I didn't realize it was so frail. It also appears to be have been recently wounded."

"I think that screaming came this way. ", nodded the elf as she pointed down the passage the snake creature had fled from.

"Was that Zax? I heard him scream before...that guy sure has a set of lungs.", noted the giant.

"Well..I won't dispute his ability to scream like a little girl, but it wasn't Zax. Zax's screams are higher pitched. ", replied the elf with a smirk.


	40. Chapter 40

"So the sheik's daughter turned out to be a ...giant worm?", asked Halvor in shock.

"Yes! You should have seen the look on the face's of those hapless adventurers when they realized it!", chuckled Lady Kania in a friendly and inviting voice, as she regaled the group with tales of her past.

Halvor, Sarin and even Adria all laughed at the disguised lamia's tale. Although Kirgi was further forward in the caravan , he had heard the conversation and let lose a chuckle as well. After her awkward and uncomfortable declaration for her desire to mate with the paladin, Lady Kania seemed quick to befriend and fit into the group. Everyone seemed to accept her monstrous heritage, everyone except Petrus of course.

The ex military summoner was still unnerved by her insinuation that she had charmed him. It was a jest , of course, that even Adria quickly pointed out to him, but it took Petrus several days to confirm there was no actual enchantments placed on him. The summoner wasn't sure if his tests to determine his free will were 100% accurate or if her charms and mind breaking touch warped his perception to perceive them as accurate. The lands where Petrus had come from , the creatures known as lamias were the haunters of ruins, and only seek to subvert or devour civilized men. The fact that this creature's nature was known to the group and allowed to roam freely around the caravan greatly disturbed him.

"Aren't lamia's ...dangerous creatures in this land?", Petrus asked Kirgi as he pulled the dwarf to the side.

"Yup...more dangerous then giants and trolls. ", agreed the dwarf.

"Tieflings are one thing, but lamias are much more lethal . Its like allowing half fiends, or dragons into our party . So don't you think its odd that there's one in the group? ", questioned the summoner.

Kirgi pondered the question , but seemed confused. Even though he returned a dazed look to Petrus, the summoner wasn't sure if he was under some compulsion not to answer or if it was the dwarf's regular half wit self.

* * *

><p>The caravan's progress had been quite steady after Halvor and his companions returned . The denizens of the mountains chose not to challenge the group's advance. The memory of their victories over the trolls, goblins and bandits were still fresh. They had reached the fortress at Tornic then the town of Heldann. The military contingent with them departed from the caravan to make their way to Nazag Narg. Most of the merchants had dispersed as well. It was still early summer, but they all smelled profits from the inland. The closure of the main pass between northern and central Grom as well as the threat of giant raiders along the coast had made trade close to nonexistent, and therefore their goods much more valuable.<p>

Only a few merchants were left in the caravan, and Halvor was in a rush to escort them to their final destination of Lower Lueders. Petrus thought that Halvor might turn over command over the caravan to himself for the rest of their journey while the big knight made his way back to Grom City, but they had doubts he could attach himself to a caravan that would make that journey. To his knowledge, their caravan was the only one that currently braved the pass.

* * *

><p>"Are you still nervous with my presence?", asked Kania. The summoner was sure the tall exotic beauty was at the middle of the caravan moments ago, but she now appeared within an arms length to himself and Kirgi. Petrus's heart jumped as the disguised Lamia appeared suddenly next to him. After his first encounter with her, the summoner had taken precautions to place plenty of distance between her and himself. Panic briefly gripped him, as he found himself facing the deadly creature. His loyal eidilon Adria was still in the center of the caravan with Sarin and Halvor.<p>

"Kirgi...Kirgi! Come here! ", sputtered Petrus trying to place the dwarf between himself and the Lamia.

"Must...must kill ... big..mouthed summoner. ", stuttered Kirgi to the shock of his companion. Before Petrus could panic, the dwarf smiled . The summoner scowled as he realized the dwarf's jest . It was bad enough he was a nervous wreck in Kania's presence, but the dim witted Kirgi was now able to get the best of him.

"May I have some alone with Petrus?", asked the disguised Lamia politely to the dwarf.

"Why of course. Remember...after you enslave him , I have seniority in your man harem. ", the dwarf said with a chuckle.

Kania and Kirgi both shared a short laugh at Petrus's expense. Petrus of course was not impressed. Why didn't anyone realize the danger they were in ? Was he the only person thinking straight here? Allowing a Lamia in a caravan was like allowing a rabid wolf into an orphanage. It was like associating with succubus or erinyes. It was pure insanity.

The dwarf bowed to Lady Kania before making his way further ahead to scout. Petrus glanced backwards at Adria, and motioned her to rejoin him. To his ire, she just waved back with a rare amused smile. The ebony eidolon seemed to be "in " on this elaborate deadly game the others were playing. The summoner looked at the Lamia, and prayed his mental defenses were strong enough. Although summoners were second to none in offensive spells , their defensive wards leaved much to be desired. He had purchased a ring to bolster his magical defenses in Grom City with the windfall of funds they received, but he had doubts it could withstand this creature's full power.

"We got off on the wrong foot, and for that I apologize. I tend to be a bit too whimsical and playful at times. ", stated Kania in a sincere voice.

Petrus looked at the beautiful woman in front of him. She was tall and comely . A classic beauty with long dirty blonde hair. She had a golden richness in her skin that was unusual in the northern people. Her form hugging white and gold robe , seemed to accentuate not hide her form. She was in a word, breathtaking. Petrus of course was not fooled. A lamia was not only a shape changer and an illusionist, but she could break men's wills with just a touch or a word. Even if she wasn't disguised, she could warp one's mind to appear in whatever form she wanted. In his homeland of distant Chelix , Lamia's were well known to waylay travelers with honeyed traps . Many a foolish wanderer who thought they had encountered a stranded maiden in the wild would end up food for the creatures, their corpses found later with a smile on their lips. Petrus was determined that would not be his fate.

" We will only travel together for a few more days. You do not need my approval. You seem to have everyone wrapped around your finger already.", stated the summoner coldly.

Kania sighed. "It's true that our time together draws rapidly to a close, but I prefer to be treated as a friend rather then an associate. I want to be someone you can trust, and in return I hope I can place my faith in you as well. "

"Is this about the guards in Tornic?", asked Petrus .

Kania nodded." I was fortunate that Halvor's reputation holds more sway in the north then he let's on. Being a son of a local baron has its advantages. "

Petrus shrugged. "I'm not sure who tipped them off about you but it wasn't me. I'm a big supporter of order and law, but not that big on authority . Hence, my premature exit from the Cheliaxian Legions. "

"Thank you for your honesty. Again I apologize if I have made things uncomfortable for you since I joined your caravan. I know my people are known as dangerous savages, a reputation that is well deserved I assure you. I won't plead or try to convince you that I am different from my kin, however I wish you to judge me by my actions.", stated Kania.

Petrus considered her statement . It seemed honest and sincere, but the thought of a monster in their midst still seemed insane to him. He would have left the group if his bonds with his companions weren't so strong. He still didn't trust her, but his respect for her had increased. At least he thought it increased, he considered the possibility that she had charmed him during their brief conversation , and he was under a compulsion to believe he respected the monster.

* * *

><p>Although most of her gear was stripped from her, and she was only given an obsidian dagger, Nymk felt quite comfortable on the edges of the Bloodwoods. She prided herself on her ability to survive in almost any wilderness situation. From barren tundras to freezing icebergs , to tall mountains and wild woods. The swordswoman had almost a supernatural skill that let her adapt and thrive in almost any outdoor environment. The fact she was given only a simple stone knife didn't seem to matter to her, although she was thankful that the Griffon Princess had not discovered her magical pack .<p>

Nymk had navigated and left the woods easily . She considered tracking the Griffon Princess and ambushing her, but found nothing to gain from it. Besides recovering her bow, the pair had no more reason to fight. Sarin was gone, and there was nothing she could do. She considered it more important to return to Lower Lueders and send a report to her Lord , The Grand Champion Erland . Revenge and rivalries would be settled later.

As the swordswoman neared civilization, she first noticed the smoke. It was too early in the year for control crop burns, and Nymk knew immediately there was something wrong. She quickly scaled a tree and scanned the horizon to determine the cause.

She could spot Lower Lueders in the distance. Even though she was at least 50 miles away, the large city was still visible and sprawled before her like some diseased blight. Surrounding the city however, were several small towns and hamlets on fire. As she scanned the destruction she noticed several massive wooden structures on the coast. Even from this distance she could make out their shapes. The swords woman had seen this type of devastating before in her homeland. This wasn't the work of conquerors or warring armies, it was the result of raiders. Giant raiders.

Frost giants were amongst the northern people's most ancient foes. Physically their strength was unmatched. The most powerful and greatest of giants were known to wrestle dragons and mammoths into submission. Some mythologies said that frost giants and their counterparts fire giants use to directly challenge the gods. The gods had to forge deadly giant slaying weapons like the Fist of Rawk and Mjolnir to turn the tide. A single giant was deadly enough, but the thing that set them apart from dragons, was their number. Their exact numbers weren't known but it's been suggested that there were thousands of them in their wintery realm of Frosthaven. The only thing that kept the north from being the giant's play ground was that the majority of them seldom left their homeland . There were a few minor tribes and enclaves that lived in glaciers or some remote areas of the tundra, but the vast majority of giants lived in that distant frozen wasteland. Despite heir reclusive nature , the cruel giants often make raids to the south. A single giant longship , was enough to lay waste to many villages and towns. The fact that they possessed overwhelming power, and struck with deadly swiftness made battling them difficult. Fortunately , even in the frozen wastelands of the knights, the raids were rare. The ice skimming longships were normally used in the dead of winter, where the giants were most comfortable. Nymk however was left both puzzled and frightened as she witnessed the full fury of the giants before her.

"This is wrong...something is wrong. ", she muttered to herself. The fact that the giants were raiding hundreds of miles away from their regular stomping grounds was odd enough. To add to that mystery was it was the middle of summer . . Most disturbing of all was that their were multiple long ships. One long ship was enough to challenge most regiments . Very few forces could fend off 40 giant raiders efficiently. The swordswoman shuddered as she counted at least a dozen vessels along the coast. The entire scenario seemed unbelievable to Nymk when she thought about it.

She wasn't sure what was happening but knew it was her duty to find out. If the giants were raiding this far south and in such numbers, she despaired at what the situation up north was. Her mission was to protect and watch over Zax until the Champions council was convened, but this raid was something that superseded it.

She decided on a course of action , then slid down from her vantage point and darted towards the light smoke.

* * *

><p>"Sorry sir...by order of the Third Army, the road is closed. Err Frost giants. ", the soldier said nervously as he confronted the strongly guarded caravan.<p>

"Frost Giants? You expect us to believe Frost Giants are raiding Grom? In the middle of summer no less. ", demanded Halvor.

"It's not as crazy as you think. Didn't that crazy wizard Dalton recruit a band of Frost Giants in his fail bid to conquer McDunnalds a few years ago. ", commented Sarin.

"Regardless if you believe me or not, the road is closed. I highly suggest you turn your caravan around and return to Tornic. ", continued the soldier mindful of the heavily armed men in front of him.

Halvor shot the soldier a withering glare. There had already been too many delays for his return to Grom City. The griffon attack, Kirgi's treasure hunt, and now this. The big knight only wanted to escort the caravan back to Lower Lueders then re arm and make his way back to the Capital. He regretted leaving Sharliss the way he did, and every day he was away from her seemed to compound his frustration.

"Hey look. We're not dummies here. I can spot a shakedown . You guys have a few guys set some fires behind some hills or something, then turn hard working people back, unless of course they pay you a bribe. Just name a fair price, and we'll be on our way. ", commented an unamused Kirgi.

"Believe me sir, I wish this was a shakedown, but it isn't. There are Frost giants raiders in the area. Possibly an invasion, from the rumors I've heard. They've already sacked several towns and hamlets . The army is ordering people to either Tornic or Lower Lueders till they can deal with the threat. The fact that most of our Skyships are down south has stymied our efforts.", explained the soldier.

"Do I look like an idiot? I'm a dwarf trollslayer. I know everything there is about trolls, and to some extent giants. First off they don't raid this far south. Besides a few lost and stray warbands, Baltar's Port is the furthest south they range. Also its summer. Even though the Grom summer is short, this is the warmest one we've had in awhile. The giants would definitely not attack in the summer. They strike during the coldest months of the winter. So let's cut out this giant talk you wanker, and name a price so we can be on our way. ", reiterated the dwarf.

"Sir there is no need for name calling. I assure you this ...", the guard stated then stopped. A curious dark shadow covered him. He glanced skywards, then was suddenly reduced to a red paste by a throwing boulder. Several other rocks were hurdled and found their targets as the guard contingent was crushed mercilessly.

"Well...Looks like I owe him an apology for calling him a wanker.", muttered Kirgi when a dozen giants broke through the surrounding trees and charged the caravan.

* * *

><p>The attack was a simple frontal assault. The giants were confident in their power to over come the caravan with sheer brute force, and under normal circumstances they would be correct. However, they weren't facing a pack of easily cowed merchants.<p>

As the giants charged the group, Halvor commanded his regular and tiefling guards to fall back and protect the caravan. Adria, Petrus, Kirgi, Sarin and himself stood resolutely against the seemingly unstoppable foe.

Petrus invoked a wall of fire to stop the charging mob. It was an effective tactic against normal attackers, but against frost giants it proved doubly efficient. Most of the giants stopped their charge in time, but a few inadvertently barreled through the flaming barrier. The white giant skin flared and crackled from the fire but the giants seemed unfazed from their terrible burns. They bellowed for their fellows to follow their lead, but their taunts soon became screams of pain.

Kirgi and Halvor descended upon one of the giants while expertly wielding their axes. The dwarf distracted and taunted his ancient enemy , and the giant responded accordingly. The giant's great sword narrowly missed the tumbling Kirgi, but it was enough of a distraction to allow Halvor to strike him from behind with his great axe. The big knight wasn't the most skilled warrior, but he made up his lack of finesse with his tactical placement and his prodigious strength. The giant howled from the surprise blow to his back and turned to face his new attacker. That however proved to be his downfall, literally. The dwarf hacked a waraxe into the giant's knee with enough force to cause it to tumble. As the giant attempted to regain his balance, Kirgi jumped and hugged the wounded knee, toppling his much bigger foe. The giant fell with a crash. It attempted to stand, but was quickly hacked by both the dwarf and the knight with relentless strikes from their weapons.

Adria grew to almost 12 feet in height. Normally her hands would erupt in lightning and thunder, but Petrus weaved his magic so that her fists were wreathed in fire. She still seemed dwarfed by the giant she faced, but the ebony eidolon seemed unintimidated by her larger foe. The giant she faced seemed confused however, it barked something at her in giant. Adria suspected he thought she was some sort of ally, but she quickly made her intentions known . The ebon eidolon slammed her flaming fist into her uncertain foe, and connected heavily into its face. The dazed giant quickly recovered however. It recognized its foe was too close to engage with its axe, so dropped its weapon and crashed his body into the eidolon. Adria was overwhelmed by her much larger foe and crashed to the ground with her opponent on top of her. Even with her enhanced strength, the primal fury of the giant was too great. The eidolon flailed from her disadvantageous position at her attacker, but the larger giant ignored her flaming fists and began pummeling her mercilessly with his mailed gauntlets. The giant seem to relish beating his smaller opponent and rained blows onto his trapped foe. The frost warrior sensed victory , but suddenly was struck by a pair of flaming beams on its back. The monstrous raider bellowed in pain from the attack, and grasped its spine in reaction to the attack by the summoner. Petrus readied another spell, but jumped back as the giant swatted at him wildly. That was enough of a distraction for the eidolon as it tossed her opponent off of him with a mighty shove. She rolled to the side and onto the balls of her feet. Before the giant could recover, Adria sprang towards him striking him in the face with her knee. The giant buckled from the force of her blow and fell to the ground. Adria then raised both of her arms into the air and brought them crashing down like sledge hammers , finishing her opponent.

The singed giant stood still as Lady Kania stared at it. The white robed priestesses exerted her will over the simple giant, and easily overpowered its feeble mental defenses. The giant's rage seemed overwhelming, but a simple gesture by the disguised lamia calmed him down. It wavered for a second then calmly began walking away. Oblivious to the battle raging around it.

Sarin rushed the last giant with the force of a charging bull. The giant saw his approach and readied to meet his spear with his axe. The giant normally enjoyed a reach advantage over his opponents, but the paladin's spear made up the difference in distance. The giant still swung first though and clipped the half elf over the shoulder. The force of the blow would have stopped a polar bear or felled a whale, but Sarin ignored the pain and continued his charge. He struck the giant in return in the stomach and felt his weapon pierce through armor and hide, imbedding itself deep into the frost raider. The giant seemed equally resilient to the strike and ignored the normally fatal strike. It raised its axe and prepared to finish the half elf, but his opponent was quicker. Sarin used his tremendous strength to yank his spear out of the giant, wounding further the innards of his foe grievously . The half elf's vicious strike seemed to paralyze the giant in pain, and bought the paladin a few precious seconds. He rotated his spear till it pointed vertically upwards. Sarin then channeled his divine power into his weapon and thrusted it upwards, catching his opponent in the lower jaw. The spear was unrelenting as it pierced his foes mouth and planted itself in its brain. The giant's face was frozen in mask of shock. This was suppose to be a simple raid against lightly armed merchants.

"Spread out ! Don't let them surround us !", shouted Halvor in a commanding voice. As he was yelling for his group to disperse , he motioned for them to gather instead. As the band gathered, he motioned for Petrus to drop the wall of fire. He held out three fingers, then two , then one. Afterwards the flaming barrier vanished.

The group was readied to surprise their foes with a sudden attack. They could not defeat the giants in a straight up fight, but they might be able to reduce their numbers with an ambush. The sight that greeted them was not what they expected. A pair of giants were on the ground, arrows were embedded in tight clusters in their throats, eyes, and chest.

Halvor looked confused and scanned the area for the band of archers that came to their rescue. There was no sign of any of the bowmen or their rescuers. Kirgi scouted the area quickly and reported the remaining giants had fled the field hastily. There was no sign of their elusive allies though.

Kirgi remained to thoroughly loot the giant corpses , as the group returned back to the caravan. When they returned the group saw a small disheveled woman sitting on the lead wagon. Her feet were hanging lazily off the side and she greeted them with a beaming full smile.

Halvor and his group regarded the vagabond warily , but Sarin strode forward and gave her a friendly hug.

"Hey guys! You don't suppose a girl can get a ride to Lower Lueders from here do you?", asked Nymk earnestly.

"What are you doing here?", beamed Sarin happily as he hugged the unresisting swordswoman again.

Nymk pushed the big half elf back playfully. "Please, I look like a mess. Let's say I was just in the area when I saw those giants attack. "

"Is Sharliss with you? ", Halvor asked eagerly when he recognized the priestess's maid.

"No, I left her service in Grom City. There was an attack by Griffon Knights, and much chaos ensued. She should be safe, she was on Captain Rameriz's ship when we separated. I can't think of a safer spot to be then on a Grommish Skyship.", explained the disheveled maid.

The answer seemed sufficient enough to Halvor and he nodded in appreciation to Nymk. The big knight didn't know what exactly happened in Grom City, but Nymk's story about a raid by Griffon Knights seemed to match Sarin's recollections and the evidence they saw . He assumed that she most likely fled from the raid, and ended here. The glaring part of her story , where she somehow crossed the Shattered mountains, seemed unimportant to him.

"Is Zax safe? We think the Griffon goons were targeting him, and instead killed that Big Zax guy by mistake. ", asked Kirgi as he finished counting the coins.

"Yes, he was on Captain Rameriz's ship too. ", answered the maid. "He also stymied the Knight's raid as well by shutting the gate on them , and defeating a boar lord in single combat.", added Nymk. She didn't have to mention Zax's exploits but found it amusing the way the dwarf's eyes light up as she recounted his exploits.

"You lost your bow, and your black arrows I see. I suspect there's a story to that.", noted Sarin observantly. Nymk nodded, although she lost her favorite bow, she had a spare in her pack. It was a serviceable weapon, but not as balanced or strong as her prized possession. Although the half elf and the maid had always been friendly, they were never really close. Their sudden reunion however seemed to draw them together and strengthen whatever ties they shared.

"I'll tell you later. It's a crazy story.", smiled Nymk as she found herself strangely appreciative of the attention she was receiving from Sarin. The swords woman wondered if she was toying playfully with the half elf because she missed him, or was it because she thought he had perished from her actions a few days ago. Or maybe it was something else.

"I'm sure it will be an interesting tale. Something you can share with me in private. ", smirked Sarin in his most suave adventurer tone.

As the pair flirted, Lady Kania walked up to Nymk. The swords woman had never encountered her before, and was taken back by the tall statuesque beauty.

"You must be Nymk. The object of desire of the Blessed of Arcturus. ", she said knowingly.

"Errr...Nymk...this is Lady Kania. I'll talk to you about her later.", stammered Sarin , not knowing how to explain the presence of the Lamia.

Lady Kania drew close to Nymk and drew a deep scent. She closed her eyes and savored the smell. The half elf and swords woman were unprepared by this strange action and waited for her reaction. "You were on the war eagle that delivered the Blessed one to me. I take it from your wounds, you were the one responsible for Sarin's release from his captors. I sense a warrior spirit in you , and I approve of his choice of mate.", the lamia said sagely before walking away.

Sarin and Nymk weren't quite sure how to respond to her cryptic statements as they sat on the wagon.

"Wait...did she say choice of mate?", blinked a confused Nymk at last.


	41. Chapter 41

"Tell me everything you know. ", purred Lady Kania to the charmed giant. The giant sat on the ground while being questioned by the disguised Lamia. Halvor , Adria, and Kirgi surrounded it , with weapons and fists ready. Petrus sat further back on a conjured chair, close enough to hear its answers, but far enough away to be in a position of safety.

After the small band of giants were routed , the caravan guards rounded up the lone raider that the lamia had enchanted. Kirgi thought they should have killed him right away, but Petrus demanded that he should be questioned. Halvor agreed with the summoner, and Kania proceeded with her unique interrogation method.

The giant looked at the small humanoids surrounding him in confusion, but the steel gazed lamia captured his attention. The piercing cat like eyes of the woman bended and broke his will. He was a Viikinki , he was sworn to his battle brothers, but his resolve was no match for the lamia's charms.

"Giants...raid...south...capture humans...need ...slaves...", the warrior said in broken common.

Halvor nodded at his answer. "Why are you so far south? Why attack during the summer not the winter?", asked the big knight.

The giant regained his confused look again, and looked at Lady Kania for direction. The tall statuesque woman nodded at him and it seemed to regain a moment of clarity. " King Frostreaver...needs workers...supplies... build ...new fortress..."

"King Frostreaver is the lord of all Frost Giants. ", nodded Kirgi. " Next to Thryme , their god of course.", added the dwarf.

"That still doesn't make any sense...why would they come all the way down here for slaves and supplies? There are much better and more convenient places for them to raid.", puzzled Halvor.

"It doesn't need to make any sense. They are giants after all. That would explain the increased raids we've heard about all spring.", shrugged Kirgi.

"Do you have any insight , ..or reasons...why you and your people are attacking at this time of year rather then winter?", pressed Kania.

"Need slaves...supplies...now. ", stammered the giant. It tried to elaborate but its mastery over the common tongue had failed him.

"Sarin knows a bit of Jotun speech I believe.", noted Petrus.

Kirgi looked around and saw no sign of the large half elf, "Hmm..I wonder where he is?", wondered the dwarf.

* * *

><p>"So...after we left Kania's valley, I decided to stick around with the caravan. I should get back to Hush's side, but I wasn't going to do it by myself. I'll go the smart and safe route and hook up with Halvor and company to make it over the mountains. ", explained Sarin to a very attentive Nymk.<p>

"So I've been shacking up with Kirgi in his wagon for now. It's not so bad with the dwarf. He's seldom here, always scouting and stuff..and don't worry about that crazy Kania chick..she ,..err sleeps outside.", continued the half elf seemingly oblivious to the hungry look the swords woman was giving him.

"You can rest here for now. Clean up a bit. You look a little rough . Which reminds me, you haven't told me how you got here . Unless of course you want me to believe Kania's scent divination. ", chuckled Sarin as Nymk slowly stripped her grime encrusted clothes and armor.

"Err...do you want some privacy. There's water in the corner. Don't worry . Kirgi never touches it. ", stammered the paladin as he was suddenly aware of the half dressed woman drawing closer and closer to him.

Nymk placed a finger on the paladin's lips and silenced him. The half elf was momentarily confused by the forthright behavior by the swords woman, but he easily regained his composure. "Ahh...my charm has finally broken your hard cold demeanor I see.", jested Sarin with a big grin.

The swords woman simply hugged him, her uncomfortably strong grip caught the paladin by surprise. "I thought I lost you...I thought you were dead. I thought...I thought I killed you. " , whispered a suddenly tearful Nymk.

Sarin wasn't sure if the swords woman was stricken with delirium or was telling the truth. He was about to say something witty or funny , but hugged the woman back. He simply held her tight and stroked her hair as she shivered from his embrace. The paladin and swords woman had engaged in this dance since they met. They pretended to just admire and respect other, while denying their close attraction. However, they abandoned that game while in the dwarf's wagon. Nymk knew her duties were to the south, but the war weary swords woman didn't care at the moment. Sarin kissed the willing and shaking Nymk deeply and they shared a brief respite together from the war ravaged world around them.

"Sarin?", asked Nymk after she caught her breath from their passionate kiss.

"Yes?", smiled the paladin.

"Did you lose weight?", Nymk asked with a raised eyebrow.

* * *

><p>"Did you see me shoot Sucky in the face! I blasted him good. I bet he thought he was safe with his no magic field, but clearly he's never met a tiefling with a dragon golem before. He's gonna be telling his buddies in the afterlife not to mess around with old Zax. ", boasted the proud tiefling . Sharliss and himself had escaped the serpent's lair, and to their amazement met Darwen, Isula...and oddly enough Bucky in the underdark .<p>

"Im glad you are safe. We feared we might not have arrived in time, but it seems you had everything under control. We were really worried when we heard that ear splitting scream. ", gushed Darwen.

Zax shook his head at the mention of the scream. He told them it was his new battlecry he was testing out, but in reality , it was his squeamish reaction when Sucky's brains scattered over him.

"I want to know how you managed to operate your dragon golem in the anti magic shell. Gauging from Sharliss's recounting of the events, and your own..."objective"... version of the tale, it seems that the shell was operational. Even your artifact blade's power seemed canceled by it. ", inquired a doubtful Isula.

"Oh...that's an easy one. Trip explained it to me, when he told me how to operate Dragon Golems. Although Dragon Powder appears to be magical in origin, it is actually a mundane substance created by the highest form of alchemy.", stated Sharliss.

"Isn't alchemy a form of magic?" , asked Darwen.

"Indeed it is. My dear aunt Henrietta taught me that it is a very specialized and refined form. Besides the creation of magical potions and concoctions, it also teaches chemistry and physics. One of the secret strengths of alchemy is transforming simple items into more complex and useful ones.", replied the priestess.

"So if its is magical, why did it work in the anti magic zone.", questioned Isula.

Sharliss sighed, "I'm sorry .I didn't explain it that well. We will use acid as an example. Everyone is aware of its destructive properties, but we also know it isn't magical. Dragon powder is similar to that, but more complex. It is a mixture of brimstone, charcoal and saltpeter in the correct amount, to form a powder that when burned, releases a tremendous amount of gas, thus acting as a propellant . A very dangerous substance, but alas non magical in nature. ", explained the priestess.

"What ever the reason, I blew Sucky's face off. He won't be messing with the "man" anymore, not while I'm packing heat. ", replied Zax with a cocky grin.

"Can you stopped that?", hissed Darwen.

"Stop what? ", asked Zax puzzled by Darwen's sudden objection.

"Those annoying nicknames you give people. You do it to almost everyone, and its very disrespectful, even to your foes. ", returned Darwen.

"Annoying nicknames? What annoying nicknames?", asked Zax , who seemed genuinely oblivious to the elf's charge.

"You know...You call Sarin ...Chins...Nymk...Nymph...That lizard man Sarukh ..Sucky...the other one Yucky... sometimes I wonder if you have a derogatory nickname for myself. ", answered Darwen with mild displeasure.

"Errr... do i say that out loud? I just ..It's just something I pick up when I drove a carriage. It makes identifying customers easier. ", explained Zax.

"Well , regardless of your reason, its very annoying.", huffed the elf.

"Are you two done? We have something more important to worry about. Our schedule was already cutting it close, due of course to Zax's incredible lengthy diversionary tactics. With his abduction, we might not be able to make it to Barkwark in time to find a boat to take Sharliss to Narwhal hold before the Champion's council.", stated Isula in an annoyed voice.

"Well, we aren't completely out of options yet. Infact , this might have turned out for the best. ", smiled a carefree Sharliss.

* * *

><p>"Ok..ok .. I'm here. What's so important. ", grumbled Sarin . Kirgi was sent to find the large half elf , and eventually he found him and the maid in his own wagon. The normally helpful paladin came as requested, but seemed annoyed at the dwarf's interruption.<p>

"We need you to translate what this giant is saying. He can speak some common, but only simple words and phrases. He starts babbling after a point.", apologized Halvor noting the displeasure in the half elf.

"I thought Kirgi spoke giant.", asked Sarin while pointing at the dwarf.

"He does, but like the giant, he only speaks simple words and phrases. Add that to the fact that Kirgi already has a limited vocabulary, and you can understand our quandary.", chuckled Petrus at the expense of the dwarf. Although it was a slight to Kirgi's vocabulary , the dwarf did not seem to notice the insult.

The half elf nodded and proceeded to question the giant for several minutes. Petrus and Adria were close at hand, providing a detailed map for the giant , and taking notes from Sarin's translated information. Halvor waited patiently for the results, while Lady Kania simply sniffed at Nymk and then smiled.

* * *

><p>"Are ..are you human?", challenged Nymk to Kania, growing suspicious of the strangely attractive woman's behavior.<p>

"No...I'm not.", answered the disguised Lamia proudly.

"She's a Lamb mama...", smiled Kirgi , obviously proud of himself.

"A Lamb mama? You mean a Lamia? ", replied Nymk, a little taken back by the revelation.

"That is correct. Is that a problem? Does that frighten you?", asked Lady Kania seeking discomfort from the small swords woman.

"Of course it does, I'm not a fool. I know what your race is capable of. I'm just surprised that's all.", Nymk said with no trace of panic , despite her own admission.

"I sense you are a worldly woman, who understands the way of magic. Are you not concerned I have this group charmed like the giant?", teased the disguised Lamia.

"Well, you are correct. I do understand the ways of magic, much more then you can guess. I'm not concerned that they are charmed, because they aren't. Recognizing enchantment magic is one of the first things I learned, in my "training". ", replied the swords woman.

"Are you not worried that I might be hatching a nefarious plot, one where I use your friends as unwitting pawns?",asked Kania with a impish smirk.

"Hey...you can use me as a pawn anytime Miss Kania. ", chirped Kirgi , even though he was not part of the conversation.

It was Nymk's turn to smile. "I trust in Sarin's judgement. If he considers you an ally then you must have some worthwhile qualities. Besides, you aren't the strangest creature I've seen or heard that he keeps as company. Succubuses, Pitfiends, Erinyes, half fiends, giant wives, even goddesses of entropy are known to be his friends. A lamia doesn't seem that out of the ordinary.", shrugged Nymk with amusement.

Kania paused at her statement, and wondered if the swords woman said that in jest. She then gave a short laugh and grinned, "I think you and I will get along fine."

* * *

><p>Petrus shook his head and handed Halvor the map. "From my questioning, I deduce this entire operation is a short raid. Roughly 500 jotans . The giants are striking out at the smaller settlements and towns and making off with as much supplies, and slaves as they can. Their main body of giants are currently along the north coast where they are busy cutting trees for the construction of a massive long house. I also discovered that these aren't regular raiders, but more of a huscarl, or honor guard for some giant Jarl.", reported the summoner.<p>

Halvor stared at the map, and seemed entranced by it.

"From his babbling, I'm guessing that the giant's homeland has been invaded. By the stone folk, or whatever that means. The giants of course have relocated, which is the cause of the increased raids. I foresee many conflicts with the giants in the near future if this information is correct. ", added Petrus.

"You said they were taking slaves? For servants?", inquired Halvor in a worried voice.

Sarin shook his head,"Some will be servants, some to fight for their amusement, but most will be worked till they die. Then they will be consumed. Their flesh eaten, their skin tanned, their bones ground for bread. ", said the half elf with sadness in his voice.

Halvor considered the half elf's statement and seemed conflicted. The big knight stood there motionless in thought for almost a minute, as Sarin and Petrus waited uncomfortably. Adria however nodded at the Big Knight.

"The caravan is almost at Lower Lueders. From the giant's description of their tactics, the closer we approach the city the less likely there will be for an attack. Petrus and I can accompany you to Veb if you wish to check on your family. You will need his firewalls if there are more frost giants about.", stated the normally silent Eidolon to the distressed Halvor.

Halvor shook his head, " No..I will not gamble the safety of the caravan even if the odds are in our favor. There are still merchants, women, and children under my protection. You saw how close the last battle was, if the giants planned their ambush better and attacked us on two fronts we wouldn't be having this conversation. We travel as a group till we reach Lower Lueders, then I'll ride to Veb. If anyone wishes to accompany me, I would appreciate it, but I won't hold it to them, or think less of them if they don't. " , stated the big knight with a regretful sigh.

Petrus and Adria nodded at their leaders decision and made ready their preparations to continue their journey. Sarin however remained with Halvor and tilted his head respectfully to the big knight.

"That was a hard decision you just made.", noted the paladin.

"Yes..but was it the correct one. ", shrugged Halvor feeling the burden of leadership on his large square shoulders.

"Who knows...that's why its a hard decision. Lives are at stake, you have to make the best call , based on the knowledge you have. ", replied Sarin .

"I ..I have so many people depending on me here. My caravan guards, the merchants and their families, the people of Veb...I'm not even including Sharliss here. I swore I'll return to her as quickly as possible, but I can't turn my back on my duty to these civilians, and my duty to my family in Veb. " , Halvor said while shaking his head.

Sarin nodded in agreement, "I too promised to return to my duties as Sharliss's guardian. However, she's safe in Grom City right now and we can't just ignore these people's plights. I don't think she should be your main concern right now. We have an army of pillaging giants to worry about right now. I'm sure she's safe in the academy , most likely debating what dress to wear to class.",noted the half elf.

* * *

><p>"So do you think this purple dress or this black dress makes me look more like evil.", asked Sharliss as she sorted through her trunk. The group had returned to the surface briefly , and to everyone's surprise, she folded the cart to a small wooden cube and placed it into her pocket. After she retrieved her clothes chest of course.<p>

"How ..how did you do that ?", asked Darwen in surprise at the folding cart.

"Do what? Oh..the cart? My sister Surry enchanted that for us. It's really just a simple variation on the collapsible boat. I would do it all the time, but it takes me forever to reassemble it. Sarin can do it in a few minutes though, he normally handles that sort of stuff. ", said the Priestess dismissively, "Now...which is it? My normal black dress...or this purple one with the racy stitchings?", asked Sharliss again.

"Errr... the black one with the subtle black motiff. ", replied Zax trying his best not to be intimidated by the priestess. It was times like this that reminded him of Sharliss's true monstrous heritage. The priestesses mother was the terrible darkness, and even though she claimed to be adopted, the tiefling wondered if that was really the case. It seemed unlikely that if given a choice the Warmaster would adopt a tiefling girl, when there were plenty of "normal" children to take under his wing. It seemed more likely to Zax that the adoption was all a ruse to hide Sharliss's sinister mother's true nature.

"Hmm...you don't think it looks too cute do you? I don't know why I had it altered to fit me after my last growth spurt, it really is a dress for a much younger person. ", questioned the priestess.

"True, but its perfect for appearing evil. Evil is often perverted, what screams perversion more then dressing as an underage hooker. ", shrugged Zax . His last comment brought cold stares from both Darwen and Sharliss. They couldn't believe what he said , and his insinuation that he made about Sharliss's appearance.

"Zax is correct. From my experience, evil witches tend to go overboard with their appearance. The good girls normally go for the subdue look, while the evil ones love to dress in their best "look at me, I'm a slut" clothes. ", yawned Isula who supported the tiefling, but did not seem to care that she did.

Sharliss frowned then relented, "I suppose you're right. ", the priestess admitted . She took the dress and proceeded to go around the corner to get dressed.

"So...explain to me this plan again.", inquired Darwen. She heard it perfectly well the first time, but it seemed borderline insane or crazy to the elf.

"Ok, we might be too far away to reach Barkwark, but we should be getting close to Denzalow. The former underdark capital of the Drow. I've never been there myself, but from the old maps I've studied in Reinhardt's library , we should be almost right on top of it. Most of the entrances are lost or closed off, but the snakemen obviously have dug a passage to connect to the surface. From my understanding of the city, they use to do trade with the Kuo toa, the aboleth, and most interestingly the shark people. Or Saughain . The former two live in underground lakes, and sometimes in the ocean, but the latter live exclusively in the ocean. Therefore I believe some form of link to the ocean exists there.", explained the priestess calmly as she put on her dark bat dress.

"First off, I know a bit of Denzalow as well. It use to have a Grommish outpost there, and although I've never been there , I can assure you it does indeed connect to the ocean. However, the outpost has long been abandoned, way back in the Bannon Rebellion, and from what I've heard its been overrunned by monsters. ", stated Darwen skeptically.

"Oh monsters is a bit too harsh of a word. I'm sure they're just misunderstood.", explained the priestess cheerfully.

"Secondly, even if we do find the connection to the ocean, what makes you think we can find transport to the north there? From the stories I've been told, Saughain are not known to be friendly with the light races. They enslave or devour them .", protested Darwen.

Sharliss stepped out of the corner with her form fitting bat dress on, and spun around for her audience to judge. Although her tailor did lengthen it, Zax thought it looked a bit too tight on the priestess. In other words, the perfect image of an evil priestess or wizardess.

"You are correct, the saughain do not play nice with the so called "light" races. However...that shouldn't be a problem here. ", stated Sharliss confidently.

"How so? Illusionary magic is not fool proof, and it does have that annoying habit of failing when you need it the most. ", stated the elf duelist.

"Hmm let me see. A tiefling,... a half fiend,...a blood thirsty pony... and a giant. No light races here.", purred the priestess with a evil glint in her eyes.

"What about Darwen? I doubt "Purple facing" will fool the denizens of the dark like they did my tiefling brothers.", asked Zax , coming to the elf's defense.

"Why my dear Zax, that's our slave.", cackled Sharliss evilly .

The tiefling and elf both took a step back from the image of evil before them. The dark seductress , with her arrogant laugh made them question the mental state of the formerly over friendly priestess.

"Errr...did I over do it?", asked Sharliss suddenly aware of her own over acting.

"Show a bit more cleavage and leg, and you got it down pat. ", shrugged Isula as she prepared to travel the dark passages of the earth.


	42. Chapter 42

"Are you sure about this? This seems kind of cowardly..", complained Sarin as he adjusted his simple disguise. It was a simple green robe, but it was effective at hiding his large obvious features. The big half elf was convinced by Nymk that discretion was the better part of valor in this situation. There were griffon knights seeking him, and it would be better not to invite their attention for now.

Nymk nodded and gave him a serious look," We can strike back at those craven cowards later. For now its more important to keep a low profile. The last thing we want right now is to assist Halvor and be attacked by flying cavalry.", explained the swords woman. Secretly she wanted to add, that she didn't want to lose the half elf paladin again, but she kept that part to herself.

Sarin shrugged and agreed. They had accompanied Halvor to Lower Lueders, and quickly headed out of the city.

Veb was a small barony 75 miles north of Lower Lueders. By all accounts, including Halvor's , it was an unremarkable village. Agriculture and a local lumber mill were its primary industries, but it also served as an important trading post to Baltar's Port and Xaber to the north. Despite its humble appearance, there were many important and wealthy families from that barony. News and rumors of the Giant invasion were rampant, and most seemed contradictory or confused. The big knight wasn't sure of the exact situation in his home town and decided to proceed with his original plan and check it out himself. After a short debate about the fate of the charmed giant they decided to sell him to the arena and donate the proceeds to the orphanages that were currently swelling to capacity . The group then procured swift mounts in Lower Lueders and promptly rode to their destination. The guards attempted to stop them claiming it was too dangerous to leave the city without a military escort. Halvor tried to impress on him his noble heritage but to no avail. Kania was about to use her own "persuasions " on them, but surprisingly enough, Kirgi was able to get them passage out of the city, with a little liberal use of gold.

"I wus just gonna spend it on cheap wimmin and booze anyways.", shrugged the dwarf.

Nymk considered herself an excellent rider. Her equestrian skills rivaled those of the greatest knights in her adopted homeland. She hoped the others would not slow her down, and was pleasantly surprised that the normally pedestrian group was similarly competent as well. Being half beast, Kania easily kept pace with the swords woman, disguised or not. Halvor was raised as an aristocrat and was taught at an early age the ways of the horse. Petrus obviously had some Calvary experience from the military . Adria was dismissed into the aether, and needed no mount. She suspected the dwarf would have some problems since there were no dwarven ponies about, but he handled himself adequately . She thought Sarin would have the most problems on horseback, even with his recently reduced weight , the half elf was still a very large man. In spite of his size, the paladin managed to keep pace with his mount. Nymk suspected he used his healing powers to keep his horse from fatiguing from its extra burden.

It normally took three days to reach Veb by foot, but on horse they covered it in under 2. There was talk of pushing their mounts, but Halvor prudently decided against it. They still had little knowledge of what they faced, and arriving with lame mounts was deemed too risky and dangerous. There were signs of fierce battles along the road, but no signs of giants or soldiers. The big knight wondered why there weren't even any bodies of the slain, but Kirgi and Nymk both shook their heads in silence. Frost giants were a particularly feared and brutal race. They did not want to panic anyone with tales of the raiders devouring the bodies of their foes. It was pretty hard to believe that Isula claimed a similar heritage to these savage giants.

When they reached Veb , Halvor's worst fears were realized. The town was laid in ruins. There were some survivors, but many more missing or dead. Even his family's estate and keep were sacked and plundered. The big Knight looked for signs of his family but none were found, only a few servants that hid underground had survived the raid.

"It was horrible Lord Halvor. They attacked several days ago. I saw from a crack in the cellar...they took everyone they can catch . It seemed they were taking slaves.", blubbered a frightened servant.

"My family! What of them? ", demanded Halvor.

The servant turned white, and seemed unable to speak. Halvor recognized the man's expression as fear.

"Speak! ", demanded Halvor again .

"I saw your father fall while defending the keep. Your brother Joakim was fell by a giant boulder, and I think they took him captive.", spoke the servant.

"What of Ivar?",inquired Halvor , seeking the fate of his oldest brother.

The servant mumbled something and turned away. Halvor did not ask him to repeat his statement or speak up. Despite the man's mumbling the big Knight heard every word he whispered. Ivar had ran. His eldest brother was a fair warrior, but he also had his wife Elsif and their child Mats to worry about . Halvor knew Ivar probably saw to their safety before he saw to the safety of the barony. The big knight wondered if he would do the same if he was in the same situation. See to his family's safety or fight against impossible odds. His Joakim and father had apparently fought, and they were either captured or slain. If Ivar made it to safety or not, Halvor did not know.

"From talking to the survivors , I am guessing 60 people missing , slain or captured.", reported Petrus grimly.

Sarin growled at that statistic, but he was powerless to do anything. There was no enemy before him that he could strike down.

Nymk turned away and shuddered at the fates of the captives. If the charmed giant was correct, they were to be used as a work force for the giant nation. In her experience , most slaves to the giants would be worked to death, then devoured after they were expired. She considered the ones that were slain in battle to be the lucky ones.

* * *

><p>Halvor himself was at a crossroads. His father was slain and his brother and people were captured. Even though he considered himself the black sheep of the family he could not let this go unavenged. What could he do though? Seek out the giants and perform a rescue extraction? Despite his recent accomplishments, he was just a glorified caravan guard. He had enough troubles striking down one wounded giant , even with help from Kirgi. What hope did he have against an army? His great size prevented him from sneaking past them, and he had no ability to use magic to mask his presence. Would it be possible to hire adventurers or mercenaries to retrieve them? He wasn't even sure where to start except at the local inn. When he tried hiring skilled guards for the caravan, it took him two weeks, and even then he had mixed success . Would his brother and people still be alive after that time?<p>

Even though it seemed like suicide and Halvor seemed to have every reason not to go, the desire to seek out the raiders gnawed at the big knight. He was Halvor von Veb, son of the Baron of Veb. He had descended from a proud noble bloodline, one that had fought mythical beasts, lizard men, goblin armies, and dragons. Despite his current status as a glorified merchant, Halvor was raised to be a noble knight. A knight of Veb in fact. They weren't famous like the Great Northern Orders, but they were a proud band. Even though Ivar ran from the fray, that didn't mean he would .

Halvor weighed his options carefully. He looked at his great axe and saw the handkerchief tied to it. Despite their less then amicable separation, he had promised to himself to return to see her. It did not matter if they could not reconcile , seeing the lovely Sharliss one more time would be enough for the big knight. If he went after the giants, he knew that would not be the case. He would just be number 61 to Petrus's grim statistic. Should he run to Sharliss's arms, just like Ivar ran to Elsif's? His last image of the priestess, was her slamming her wagon door in his face. She was angry that he chose duty over her, and he could clearly remember the tears in her pale perfect face and her long black hair. It was a stupid argument, and one that he should have handled better. Halvor thought her hair looked better when it was blue, but the image of the heartbroken dark hair Sharliss clinged to his thoughts. Was this how he was to remember her? He tried to conjure an image of her smiling, but all he could see was her angry visage. He looked at that handkerchief again, and knew that despite their falling out, she still had feelings for him. If he was smart he would return to Grom City and attempt to make up with her. There was nothing left for him here anymore. The village was in ruins, the keep was destroyed, his family fortune gone, and the neighbors and friends he grew up with , the lifeblood of the barony , were taken. It would be best if he crawled back to Sharliss and try to start a new life. He wasn't rich, but he made a small fortune through the caravan . It would allow him to live comfortably if not in the manner he wished. He knew he could make Sharliss a happy woman.

"I'm...I'm going after the giants. I'm a Knight of Veb, I must try to rescue my people. ", Halvor said reluctantly. Despite his inner turmoil, his decision was never in doubt. He was a knight, not just in name, but in heart and soul. He admitted he sometimes strayed from the path, but he could not deviate now. He knew he would probably die in this attempt, but duty and honor demanded action. He thought of Sharliss , and saw her once again with an angry look on her face. He knew his opportunity to make his peace with her has slipped away, but happiness was for others it seemed.

"Yes! A grand quest! Take me ! Take me! ", piped Kirgi enthusiastically and unexpectedly. Halvor wondered if the dwarf knew the dangers and certain death they faced, but he would not turn away aid. The dwarf knew much about their foe, and he needed all the help he could get.

"After witnessing first hand the giants' handiwork, I would prefer returning to Grom City. However, you two woefully need my fire magic, so I will accompany you in this endeavor.", sighed Petrus.

"You two don't have to come you know. This is a suic...", began Halvor but the summoner stopped him.

"Yes ..I know .. a suicide mission . I've done a few of those while serving in the Chelaxian army. Believe me, I lost many comrades on those sorties and for what ? A useless piece of land , an objective which we simply abandoned a few weeks later, or worse to advance some noble's political aspirations? I've risked my life for trivial reasons before, and never shirked my duty. At least now I'm doing something worthwhile. ", scoffed Petrus.

"Err...yeah...what he said. ", added Kirgi.

"Well...if you guys are going to fight giants, then you might as well do it right. I'm in. I'll show you guys how a pro does things. ", Sarin said with a swagger.

"If the Blessed of Arcturus shall lend you his spear, then I will accompany you as well.", stated Lady Kania calmly.

Halvor wasn't sure what to say at this out pouring of support. Most of these people he had met recently, but they were willing to risk their lives for him and his family. From what he saw of them, they were all competent fighters. However , he wondered if he was leading them to their deaths.

* * *

><p>"You know Sarin, I think it would have been better if no one helped Halvor. ", whispered Nymk as she dragged the paladin away from the group. The rest of them didn't seem to notice as they were making preparations for their strike against the giants. Petrus was readying supplies. Halvor was retrieving maps and giving instructions to his men. Kirgi was busy boasting about how many giants he will soon kill.<p>

"What do you mean? The guy's entire family and village just got abducted. I'm a paladin, a holy warrior, I can't just sit back and do nothing. ", protested Sarin in confusion.

"Halvor means well, but going after the giants might mean just getting more people killed. I'm not referring just to his impromptu little band, but more specifically the hostages. If no one assisted him, he might have second thoughts. You know , he might do something useful , like help the remaining villagers get back on their feet.", replied Nymk.

"So you want us to just ignore their plight?", asked Sarin , disbelieving what he was hearing from the swords woman. From the short time he knew her , she had always been the one taking crazy risks . From fighting a coven of hags by herself, to assaulting a bandit fortress, and if it could be believed, fighting off griffon knights while on their war eagle. Hearing her advise to play it safe seemed out of character.

"No...", sighed Nymk, " Their plight won't be ignored. That's what the Champion's council is for. I'm sure , even with the recent political turmoil, that they will resolve to battle the giants. If Halvor and his friends want to do something meaningful, they should join the upcoming crusade against them. It would be more effective then this ill advised expedition. Speaking of which, shouldn't you be returning to Grom City and guarding Sharliss. Isn't that your sworn duty?", asked the swords woman.

Sarin frowned, he was well aware that his promise of aid to Halvor meant leaving Sharliss alone for awhile longer. It made matters worse to him that someone had pointed it out for all to see. " Yes...I know. I'm not doing this for fun or anything, Halvor really needs help. As much as I want to be at Sharliss's side, I can't let him or his goofy buddies do this alone. They'll get killed. I'm not being arrogant here, but they'll stand a better chance with me at their side.", explained the paladin.

"If you are having second thoughts about this...I can always "persuade" him to stay.", whispered Kania as she stepped out of the shadows. The half elf and swords woman thought they were away from prying ears and eyes and they were correct for the most part. However, Kania's senses were akin to those of a great hunting cat, it would be hard to conceal any conversation from her.

"No mind breaking magic please...thanks for the offer, but its quite alright. I thought about this already while we were riding here. It's not a spur of the moment decision. ", said Sarin shaking his head.

Nymk considered the paladin's words and sighed. "Well, if you're going then I guess I will too. I also have responsibilities in Grom City. However, I think battling giants and seeing to the safety of the grandson of the Warmaster and the last prince of the ice elves serves the purpose of my lord more. Besides, I'm sure Zax and Sharliss are quite safe in Grom City now. They're probably taking full advantage of the comforts there."

* * *

><p>Zax was not only miserable but completely uncomfortable. The dank cold tunnels irritated his normally dry warm skin, and even more disturbing was the sense that each step they took brought them closer to their doom. It had started out simply enough. At first he considered calling Sharliss an idiot and running away back to Grom City, however there were several factors that stayed his action. First off, Isula and more importantly Darwen seemed to agree to follow her plan. To leave , would mean that he would travel alone. Isula he could do without, but he desired Darwen at his side. Partially for her company but mainly for protection. Traveling alone would be dangerous and something he did not relish since there might be more snake men in the area. More importantly, he thought the plan was doomed to failure. The tiefling fully expected to get lost for a few days in these tunnels. When they finally found their way out of the warrens, it would be too late to travel to the Great Council. Zax would make a show of his feigned frustration, and would be ready to comfort the certainly distraught Sharliss, but in the end they would all return back to Grom City. It was the perfect delay he was looking for, a fool proof plan to sabotage their mission as well as being someone else's idea, so he would be absolved of any blame. It was the perfect simple solution to Zax's complex problem, but of course things did not work out the way he wanted them to.<p>

The group descended deeper and deeper below the earth. Zax thought they presented an interesting image. The tiefling slave master astride his mount leading his elven prize, flanked by his fiendish mistress and a hulking giant body guard. Sharliss's magic did not need to alter their appearance by much, mainly small touches like some details on their clothing, and of course Zax's villainous mustache. He expected Darwen to protest more, but she did not seem too annoyed at the ropes she wore. They were tied in the same fashion that Nymph had used to slip into the north gate during the siege, allowing her to quickly slip them if need be. Despite his fearsome appearance, they had a few skirmishes with the remaining snake and lizard men, but it was nothing that Isula or Darwen could not handle. Even though they were supposedly free from Sucky's mental control, they were still a very violent assortment of creatures. At first Zax thought they were getting more and more lost, but on the second day , to his amazement and dread, they appeared to have stumbled onto a primary tunnel of some sort.

"Primary, secondary , tertiary tunnels? Are you a dwarf or something?", Zax asked Sharliss while scratching his head.

"Yes... that's what the old expeditions that descended into the depths of the earth called them. ", replied Sharliss quite proud of her knowledge of spelunking lore.

"The journals of the Grom army?", inquired Darwen , whose interest seemed to be piqued by anything pertaining to the military.

"No...no... even older manuscripts. From the first age. Although I have read the few war journals of Alphonso's underground campaigns, and I found them very useful I might add, there are even older texts. Written and compiled by the likes of Beek Gwenders of Croodle, Fonkin Hoddypeak, Fage the Kexy, Frush O'Suggil and of course Flerd Trantle..amongst others. ", replied Sharliss knowingly.

Zax laughed out loud, "BWAHAHAHA...you've been had! The texts you read were obviously made up. Beak Gweenders? Fonkin Hoddypeak...Fage the Sexy? Those are the silliest names ever! Obviously they were badly made up tales."

"That's Fage the Kexy and Beek Gwenders...", said Sharliss coldly, " Do not belittle the ancients because of their bizarre naming conventions. They were great adventurer's worthy of respect. I would like to add that some barbarian tribes still name people according to the work that they are proficient at. My own father was named because of his ability to retrieve water. I was given the name Hush because I was very quiet when I was little. ", sniffed the priestess.

"Odd names just seem odd because they are seldom used. If you think about it, some very common , famous people have odd names. ", agreed Darwen, " You've heard of the ancient wizard Melf for example. Did you also know that he was one of the first Elf mages? "

"Elf..mage...mage..elf...melf? ", puzzled Zax , "That's stupid too! Geeze who'd a thought the great Melf of the acid arrow had brain dead parents."

"You heard of Zagyg or Xagyg right? The mad mage of Oereth ?", added Sharliss.

"Err nope. Is he famous or something ?", pondered Zax.

"Yes, very famous. He was one of the first mortals that ascended to immortality. His name is just the great prophet's name backwards. ", nodded the giant.

"Gyg...gazz... Wow...another goof ball name. Where'd people come up with this sort of stuff.", chuckled Zax.

"That's pretty funny coming from a person whose name is Zax. ", responded a very unamused Sharliss.

"Oh...that's short for Zachery . That's what Sister Wayland of the orphanage had named me. I didn't think it sounded tiefling enough, so I used the shorter form of Zac..or Zax . ", smiled the tiefling proudly.

"I see... ", began the priestess but then was interrupted by Isula.

"Those names you mentioned earlier. I know of them. During the golden First Age , the giants once banded together to attempt to subjugate the surface world. It wasn't like our normal raids or armies, but a cunningly devised series of coordinated attacks. Some say that the dark elves had manipulated us, but for whatever reason our ploys were more successful then normal. We would have conquered the world, if not for the adventurers that the Lady Sharliss had named.", explained the giant.

"Wait? So some guys named Fonkin Hoddypeak and ...err Beark Gweenders destroyed some giant plan to rule the world? and you Frost giants still show your faces? That's like getting whooped by Ronald the jester merchant of McDunnalds. ", said Zax sarcastically.

Isula shrugged sheepishly , the tiefling's sarcasm was not lost on her as she hung her head low, " It was not just Jarl Gungren's forces that were defeated. The Hill giant chieftain Nosnra, and the infamous King Snurre were also beaten. They even slew the dragon Brazzemal the Bright , the lord of the Hellfurnaces. ", the young giant said in awe.

Darwen shot the tiefling a chilling look, she tried to convey to Zax that he was treading on dangerous ground. Laughing at the light hearted Sharliss was one thing, but laughing at Isula meant courting death. Zax of course ignored her, he was about to laugh again but stopped when Isula held out a hand and signaled the group that there was danger near.

The priestess and the elf huddled behind Bucky, while Zax tentatively drew the ancestral Blade of the Husky. It thrashed in his grip for a few seconds, till it took the form of a gleaming rapier. He had thought he lost all of his gear, but fortunately Darwen had recovered it from a fleeing snakeman when they first entered the tunnels. With his rapier in his hand, a club in the other, and his dragon golem at his belt, Zax felt like a true hero. Also the fact a towering giant stood between him and his unseen foes bolstered his confidence.

"Halt ! You are not welcome here. Release your elven prisoner , then you can leave in peace.", cried a melodic voice in common.

Zax thought it curious they weren't using underdark and instead relied on the language of the surface folk. "Wait a second...she's not just my prisoner, she's also my slave...my favorite slave,if you know what I mean. It's pretty hard to replace someone as feisty as her , and I'm sure as hell not going to do it for people I can't see. ", shouted Zax in return while winking at a blushing Darwen. The tiefling wondered if his boasting went too far, but he had complete confidence in Isula's ability to block incoming arrows and spells.

"We do not welcome your kind in the free city of DarkBarkWark. ", replied the melodic voice again.

"Dark..Bark..Wark...? BWAHAHAHAAAAA", laughed Zax . His humor was not shared however, as arrows, spears, and spells were launched at him, by his unseen foes.


	43. Chapter 43

Isula stood defiantly against the hail of arrows and spells, confident her armor and her spell resilience would save her. Before the arrows could strike however, a barrier of wind swirled from the ground and scattered most of the mundane projectiles away. Some bolts of force struck the giant, but Isula did not seem to notice them. Darwen had incanted a spell that had disrupted the incoming attack, as she ripped the faux slave collar off her neck. The time for deception was over.

"Hold!", shouted a voice from the darkness.

Isula prepared to throw her deadly spear into the tunnel, but a head shake from the priestess had stalled her attack. Zax of course remained well hidden, hoping that a peaceful, and of course non violent resolution to this conflict could be reached. The tiefling assumed that if they didn't want elves as prisoners and they are willing to talk, they must not be the typical evil monsters that inhabit the subterranean underdark.

"The elf is obviously not a prisoner. She is either in league with the tiefling or they are not what they appear.", shouted the voice again.

"Maybe both.", quipped Zax as he sensed the tension in the room draining. The tiefling walked forwards and pointed to his mustache to Sharliss, who promptly dispelled it. "See...no pointy villain stashe...I'm a good guy.", the tiefling assured the unseen audience, hoping that he had guessed correctly about their dispositions.

"Errr...you still look like a tiefling. ", said a different voice.

"That's because I am a tiefling! We aren't all crazed rebels intent on overthrowing Grom. ", scoffed the tiefling indignantly.

Zax heard some muttering in the darkness from his last statement. He tried to scan for his questioners but he saw no sign of them. With his enhanced dark vision, he concluded they were remarkably well hidden or were using some form of illusion magic to remain unseen.

A dusky portly elven figure stepped seemingly out of mid air and bowed to Zax. "Greetings I am Hanis Windshear, I apologize for the unprovoked attack, but these tunnels are dangerous. I was just enforcing my settlements laws, we assumed that everyone down here has heard of our little "colony" by now."

Zax looked at Hanis and smiled," Oh great, a half elf. ", he thought to himself . Or more specifically a drowish half elf. He had not expected to meet any drow in these tunnels and was curious how this one got here.

* * *

><p>The popular tale amongst the populace was that when the Drow attempted to conqueror Grom several hundred years ago, Alphonso defeated their expeditionary force and took the battle directly to them. He marched on their underground cities and to the amazement of all he swiftly took their capital and several key outposts. He had enslaved their people , and according to legend, even captured their goddess. The drow were brought to the surface where they faced over a century of slavery. The most powerful and skilled of the dark elves were culled by their cruel Grommish masters and the former great evil nation of elves was left an empty shell. It was only due to the policies of General Maximillian and the great elven wizardess Delsenora that the dark elf people were eventually freed from their bondage.<p>

Even after being freed, the dark elves faced another century of segregation and misery. The great numbers enslaved and returned to Grom by Alphonso made them the most populous of the pure elves, however old grudges from their surface cousins were never fully forgiven. The dwarves of course , disliked all elves especially the drow , which they fought numerous territorial wars with. The humans still had fresh memories of the invasion they had barely survived. They knew that if the shoe was on the other foot , they would be brought underground to much worse conditions then the dark elves had suffered. In spite of being freed, the dark elves's lot in life had changed very little.

Many of the older more traditional minded dark elves attempted to return to the underdark. Their old rivals , the gray dwarves .. duergar, the mind flayers.. ilithids, the fish men...kuo toa, and of course the dreaded slime mages...aboleths , had all divided the remnants of the drow kingdom when they were away. There were some Grommish outposts, but they were mainly used as a buffer against future invasions from the denizens of the deep. The returning dark elves were either turned back to the surface by the Grommers they encountered or ruthlessly slaughtered and enslaved once more by the new lords of the deep.

The dark elves born on the surface or the ones that were too afraid to return and stayed on the surface fared a little better. Collectively they were outcasts everywhere , except of course the half elven city of Bark Wark and a few segregated elven districts in the various cities of Grom. Although the great emancipator General Maximillian freed the dark elves to use as fodder for his armies, many earned military distinctions and honors from their service. While normal society grudgingly accept them, the military did so enthusiastically. Military service became a proud tradition of the surface dark elves. The other great emancipator Delsenora freed them for more altruistic and benign reasons. Being one of the first half drow , she knew first hand the difficulties her people faced. Due to her comely appearance she was fortunate that she was chosen as one of the many brides of the mad sage Boryis . She learned magic at his bedside , and used her power to become a minor legend . Not as legendary as her eventual husband the Mighty Zug, but she gained enough influence to help pass laws to ban slave markets and created institutions to help her people.

Despite Delsenora's strides to integrate her people, most dark elves found the easiest way to climb the competitive Grom social ladder was to marry up. They were a poor people, but they were still considered strangely attractive by human standards. Soon a large population of dark half elves were born, and were slowly replacing pure blooded drow. Even though they were long lived, their attraction to military service, and the legendary slow elven birth rate began to whittle their population. After two centuries of freedom, pure dark elves were still present, but their dark half elf progeny were clearly in the majority. The greatest shame of the dark elves however were not their shrinking numbers, but that their children considered themselves half elves, rather then dark elves. Their culture seemed to be slowly going extinct.

* * *

><p>"Hi! I'm Zax. ", replied the tiefling with his usual swagger.<p>

A chuckle came from the darkness. "An uncle Zax...", was all that the tiefling could make out . Zax bristled at this reference, not because he was the real Zax not an imposter, but because "Uncle Zax" was apparently a derogatory term used to describe boot licking subservient tieflings.

"I would like you to know , I am the real Zax. I'm no one's uncle , lackey or sycophant.", Zax declared proudly.

"Uhh..sure you are...I've seen the real Zax, he's a lot bigger..and older then you are.", smirked Hanis. Zax wasn't sure who he was referring too, but when the dark half elf mentioned bigger , he wondered if he was referencing the painted orange tiefling known as Big Zax.

Hanis chuckled. The tension in the tunnel drained, as Zax's threat seemed diminished to Hanis's eyes. Apparently anyone who was an Uncle Zax was not worthy to be feared. Zax was happy that the danger to his life has passed but disappointed at how little his reputation meant in some circles. As Hanis laughed lightly at Zax, a half dozen more dark elves and half dark elves emerged from the tunnel. They wore padded armor, and most seemed to carry a sling, wooden shield, and a club as well as a bow or crossbow . From their uniforms and weapons they were clearly Grommish military or at least ex Grommish military. Despite being laughed at Zax breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you know about Zax, then you are clearly from the surface. I assume from the fake neck collar , the enlarge spell on your "giant" and the over top hooker demoness you have with you , that you are disguised surface explorers? ", questioned Hanis with a grin.

"Hooker Demoness? ", hissed Sharliss..."This is what I normally look like. ", she sniffed obviously hurt by Hanis's comparison, while she slipped on a black robe hiding her wings and tail.

"Oh c'mon. I wasn't born yesterday. You over emphasized your wings, and swinging tail, and you forgot the horns. It's not a very convincing disguise unless you want to work at a bordello.", chuckled a short dark elf behind Hanis.

"...but..but..my horns are just small... ", Sharliss tried to explain, but Isula motioned her to be quiet.

Zax smiled, there was no danger with this group. Now was the time to get to work and find out what these guys are doing here, and how it could profit him. "So...Hanis...what are you and your boys doing here. My own small band was waylaid by a pair of big boss snakemen and their band of goons. After we swiftly dispatched them , we decided to explore this area. Its not everyday you stumble into the underdark.", the tiefling said with a friendly air.

"You defeated Yitru and Sarukh? Those two and their army of scale folk had been a thorn at our sides for months now. ", gasped Hanis.

"Yucky and Sucky were not much of a challenge. ", Zax said with an uncaring shrug , indicating how lowly his foes were compared to him.

The rest of the dark elves and half elves chuckled at his nicknames for the two formerly feared denizens of the dark. Zax turned to Darwen and gave her a "I told you " wink.

Darwen rolled her eyes in return, but decided to do what Zax did best. That was to talk , and make people comfortable . Unlike most surface elves, Darwen and her own scattered tribe of Ice elves felt a high degree of kinship with the dark elves. They too were considered outcasts and failures . The grey haired elf had no desire to cross swords with Hanis and his crew, and she knew that Zax was the best chance they had to avoid this.

Hanis seemed impressed by Zax's bold statement. Even if he was an uncle Zax, if he had managed to defeat a naga and a Sarrukh , he was worthy of respect. "A proper introduction is in order then. I am Hanis, formerly a lieutenant of the second company in the First Army's expeditionary force. My men and I guard the tunnel to our colony Dark Bark Wark.", the portly dark half elf explained.

"Dark Bark Wark? Please explain further. ", asked Zax..barely suppressing his laughter.

The tiefling wasn't sure why but Hanis seemed pleased someone asked that question. Maybe he was overly proud of his oddly named colony or more likely he just needed to talk to someone. Whatever the reason the dark half elf began his tale, " I thought it was common knowledge, but I guess news travel slowly or more likely our surface counterparts don't believe us. As you can see, my companions and I have a healthy dose of drow blood in us. Our fathers and grandfathers attempted to resettle the darklands two centuries ago. They failed miserably. However the drive to rediscover one's heritage can never be extinguished. "

Darwen nodded at his statement. Her own sentiments of her own people reflecting that of Hanis's.

" Many of us still held out hope to reclaim our lost homeland, but it seemed like a hopeless endeavor. However, after the Bannon rebellion, and the withdraw of the last Grom forces to the surface, there was a few of us that saw an opportunity. A great many military veterans gathered to reclaim our homeland, we had support of course from the Brotherhood of the Sea , and the Captains of BarkWark. BarkWark of course, being the city that many of us called home. Although establishing a new colony underground would be impossible, reclaiming an old one would be another matter. Grommers never leave their property undefended. Most of us are ex military , and we knew the clever magical curses and traps they put on their abandoned fortresses. We hoped that the local denizens would grow frustrated at attempting to occupy the old Grom forts and simply ignored and circumvented them. It was a simple matter of buying these abandoned outposts and their magical command words from the Grommish First Army before we launched a much more organized crusade into our former homelands. ", stated Hanis proudly.

"I see you must have been successful then.", congratulated Zax.

"Indeed we were. Our disorganized enemies were not prepared by the size or direction of our attack. Instead of assaulting from the surface like our forefathers did, we sent a diversionary force from the upper tunnels while the rest attacked from the tunnels that connected to the deep ocean. ", boasted the dark half elf.

"Underwater attack? ", Zax asked puzzled. Zax didn't know much about the sea or boats, but he did know underwater operations were limited to small groups due to the need to prepare the correct magics. A few platoons were not uncommon, but enchanting an entire army seemed impossible.

Hanis smiled,"Yes ! As I said the Brotherhood of the sea assisted us, that includes a large contingent of sea elves. Also the League of Captains from BarkWark possesses several submersible vessels. After we established a secure beachhead , it was just a matter of ferrying troops to their undefended rear. Afterwards, we promptly ejected those unwanted squatters from our rightful homes. With the Grommish enchantments still functioning , we were able to not only seize control of the city of Denzalow but the entire ancient drow vault. "

"Wait ..Denzalow? Dark Bark Wark is Denzalow?", interjected Sharliss.

"Yes! We decided to rename it. Partially to signify a fresh start, partially as acknowledgement for the only city that accepted us and helped us reclaim our birthright.", Hanis explained.

"Yay! ", cheered Sharliss, her youth once again showing. "We were headed that way , hoping to find transport there. We almost had given hope and were about to return to the surface.", bubbled the priestess.

Zax's spirit suddenly sunk. Not only was he annoyed that Sharliss had tipped their hand about their true intentions, but his chance to return to Grom City seemed to have rapidly vanished.

* * *

><p>Stormfeather walked casually around the dueling pit. His twohanded blade was dragged along the ground as if it were a piece of wood, not a dangerous weapon. The griffon prince was assaulted by angry shouts and roars, but he responded with a simple yawn. The Champions council always brought all kinds of rift raft.<p>

"You will pay for the dishonor you brought on all the Orders. Raiding our allies, attacking their capital, and leading our kinfolk to defeat. ", snarled Sir Tusk of the Boar as he stalked his prey with his great axe at the ready.

Stormfeather stopped and straightened. He pointed to himself innocently. "You think I am responsible for that disastrous raid against Grom City in the south? Surely you jest. If I was in charge of that raid, those milk drinking Grommers would be our thralls by now. ", snickered the prince as he pushes aside the images of his recent defeat by the milk drinkers.

Sir Tusk roared and charged the Griffon prince. The old boar knight was well past his prime , but was still a fierce opponent. Observers of the fight could clearly see he had lost a step and his movements tended to be more economical then the usual powerful strides his Order was known for.

Stormfeather dodged at the last moment, and the Griffon prince sweated as he realized how close his foe came to cleaving him . The Griffon Prince of course did not show any concern to his opponent as he began casually walking away again .

"Those are quite the charges leveled against me. Were you there? Or perhaps you believe those Grommish lies spread about my Order. Surely you do not trust the word of a Grommer? ", asked the Griffon Prince, then he paused and a smile crept on his face, "Being so naive as believing a Grommer is bad, but at least its not as bad as being a pawn to the Grommers? Wait...was that a twitch I just saw? Oh please don't tell me the great Sir Tusk is a minion to Grom?", exclaimed Stormfeather. He of course did not see any twitch or have any indication to confirm his statement, but he knew it would anger the elder Boar Knight to no end.

Sir Tusk stopped and bellowed an ear splitting roar. It seemed odd that such a powerful shout could come from the old man, but the veterans of the different orders that had fought with him were not surprise. The boar knight sprang towards Stormfeather swinging his axe in a broad arc. The griffon prince barely parried with his blade, but was still sent flying from the force of the impact. Stormfeather rolled to the side and avoided a second strike as he scrambled to the other end of the pit.

"Flee you coward! Just like you did at Grom City. Our shamans divined your where abouts during that raid. It didn't take much to put two and...urk..", stuttered Sir Tusk as a twohanded sword was inserted in his mouth.

Stormfeather panted heavily . The old boar knight almost had the best of him. He could have killed the old man earlier, but wanted to entice the warrior to reveal the source of the rumors of the raid. It was a dangerous dance he played , but the Griffon Prince was fortunate Sir Tusk revealed his source sooner rather then later. The Griffon knight wasn't sure how long he could avoid the old man's axe.

The crowd roared . Most seemed angry , but some cheered. Stormfeather smiled , it didn't matter. The noise drowned out most of Sir Tusk's statement, and those that did hear it was too consumed by bloodlust to care. More importantly was that he had collected the information he wanted. The Griffon Prince did not realize the Boar Shaman's were so powerful, or more importantly they were divining his action. The Order of the Boar and the Order of the Griffon were always bitter enemies. This extended to the days of Zalthar the Slayer and the Great hunting bird Grimtalon. Stormfeather did not realize they were actively monitoring their movements. This was something he expected from his own people, not the dull witted Boar.

"Brudder smash old guy ! Smash him gud! ", said Iceclaw while extending Stormfeather a hand .

The Griffon Prince accepted his brother's help and was hefted out of the pit. He looked around the dispersing crowd and wondered if his sister witnessed the battle. Sadly his keen eyes saw no sign of her. Everyone thought Lionsong had died when her war eagle did not return, but she miraculously returned a week late. She was riding a large owl which she claimed she traded for a lizard beast. The owl was woefully ill trained for battle, and the stablemaster wished to use it as food for their griffons, but she refused claiming she was attached to the odd beast.

"Mission accomplished Icey . Let's get back to pop's war tent, and see what the Great Hunting Bird is up to. The sooner this Champion meeting starts the sooner we could go home.", sighed Stormfeather.

* * *

><p>Lord Felwind paced his tent like a stalking Griffon. His plots had proceeded as planned. The minor elector knights were mostly bullied or slain save a few exceptions. The Grommish reaction to the raid on their capital had caused them to withdraw their ambassador till further notice. The Northern Knights disliked the Grommers but tolerated their military and economic resources. Erland of the Squirrel seemed to have an ability to deal with the reviled southerners, but with their support gone, his position had eroded rapidly. If luck was with Felwind, he would soon be elected the Grand Champion.<p>

There were a few things that might go against him though. Mainly that his children did not secure the abomination. The current ice elf leader, the elven witch Surry, seemed not to be concerned that the abomination may or may not have been abducted. Felwind doubt even she could be so cold hearted as not to be concerned with her family. Of course she was an abomination herself and did not have family values like himself. The Griffon Lord was so generous with his children that he did not execute any of them for their failure. He was a loving father and would execute one of them at random after he was named Grand Champion. The least he could do for his incompetent children was let them celebrate his victory with him before he killed one of them. The other concern was that the Warmaster had not returned from his scouting expedition to Ogremoch's glacier. This left a significant amount of votes in the air. The Griffon lord hoped to rally the undecided voters against the Warmaster and his Grommish allies, but with him possibly dead, some might seem his a Martyr. Despite the factions at his side, there was still some margin of error. Erland was a hasty man and wished to convene the council immediately so they could conduct the campaign against the giants, but Felwind had subtly used every political trick to delay the vote. The longer the electors waited, the greater the chance that Erland would appear to be weak and indecisive . Everyday they delayed worsened their military position, but it did not matter to Felwind. Only the title of Grand Champion mattered.

"Hey pops...err I mean Great Hunting Bird. I just found out the Boar are spying on us. Our own mystics suggest wearing these amulets to interfere with their scrying. ", said Stormfeather as he entered the tent twirling an amulet with his finger.

Felwind looked at his son with contempt. He was the most competent of his children, but he still had a lot to learn. He pointed to a similar amulet which he wore on his neck.

"Oh ..I see you already have one. Well anyways, I'll issue these to all our commanding officers. I know they like the ones that make their skin tough or let them punch harder, but this will be mandatory till after the election.

Felwind nodded in agreement. Stormfeather was a good son, it would be a shame if was picked randomly to be slain after the election.

"The rumors of us starting that raid down south should be silenced now. I killed the chief blabber mouth in the dueling pit earlier.", boasted Stormfeather . He looked at his father for approval but the Griffon lord gave none.

"Stormfeather, the election is starting soon. I wish for you and your siblings to intercept any approaching ships or caravans...and stop them. Most of the electors in my faction have already arrived. The remainder are either in Erland's camp or undecided. I do not wish for them to oppose me. ", commanded the Griffon Lord.

"Yes sir. We'll make sure of it. ", the Griffon Prince said with a smile . The intent of his father's orders were irrelevant. Stormfeather just saw this as another chance to be with his sister. "Anything else I can do for you pops?"

"Yes...make sure there are no survivors.", said the Griffon Lord.


	44. Chapter 44

Zax and the rest of his companions followed Hanis and his patrol down a well traveled cavern . True to form, the portly half elf boasted it was the main primary tunnel to the vault of Denzalow that lead to the shrine of the Kuo Toa and further down to a former Drow outpost.

After a few hours the patrol had reached a massive gate blocking the passage. It was of uniform stone construction and seemed very utilitarian and spartan compared to what the tiefling expected of Drow architecture. Upon further examination Zax noticed that it was of Grommish construction, and assumed that it was built after the Grommish invaders knocked down the previous barrier or gate . Judging by how intact and weathered it looked, Zax guessed it might have been erected by Alphonso himself. Regardless of the identity of the architects of the construction , it looked quite impressive and formidable , especially since there were several staked heads of shaggy humanoid bears and some form of humanoid fish creatures adorning the walls. Zax squirmed uncomfortably as he gazed at the grisly warning to all invaders.

"Hold! ", declared a booming voice from behind the tunnel gate.

"Hey you Zug Folk! Its me Hanis! Err... The dark rose blooms under the new moon. ", shouted Hanis in return.

"It's cheesy I know, but the Sea Lords loves that dramatic crap.", whispered the half elf back to his guests.

A moment of silence seemed to drift through the gate.

"Who are the people with you? Prisoners?", questioned the booming voice.

"These are travelers from the surface. Explorers or something. They seem alright.", shrugged Hanis.

"Seem alright? Seem alright? This is the underdark ! Has your dull witted Zug folk mind ever considered the possibility its a trap? ", sneered the loud voice.

"Hey! No need to be insulting. Trust me its cool! They even took out the Citadel of the Scaled ones for us. ", answered Hanis in an irritated voice.

Zax noticed that despite their appearance of military backgrounds, the gate keeper and the patrol leader were very undisciplined and informal . However, the tiefling did recall that most half elves he had met, even the ones in the army, were fairly easy going. Even Captain Maiale seemed a bit loose when it came to official regulations.

"Do you have any proof of this?", shouted the voice after a few moments of murmuring behind the gate.

"Look, they came from the direction of the scaled ones, and they certainly aren't lizard folk. They even have an elf with them!", argued Hanis.

Hanis turned to Zax and his companions as the gate house mumbled to themselves again. "Look guys, I'm sorry for this hassle. We've had several breaches of security recently and they're just being extra cautious. Lots of shape shifters and illusion magic down here.", he explained while motioning to the staked heads.

"Errr...we were using illusion magic.", Darwen responded hesitantly.

"Yeah, but you guys are different. I can tell . For one thing, you didn't attack me when you had the chance, unlike almost everyone else down here. Also you guys ...well you guys just smell different. I've found that people and creatures who lived down here for a considerable amount of time , have a strange scent . I'm not sure why, but I think it has to do with the mostly fungal diet or the lack of vitamin D. ", shrugged Hanis.

After conferring with his fellows, the loud voice returned. " Just because they have an elf, that is not sufficient proof that they came from the surface. She could be a criminal exile , or brainwashed. "

Darwen bristled at the insinuation that she was a bandit in hiding or a slave . The tiefling guessed it was because she was a bit of an outcast when dealing with her own people, and she almost did become a brainwashed slave . Zax sensed her anger and hoped she wouldn't say something or worse do something , that would anger the guard. Even though he hoped that they would turn them away, he rather have a polite rejection then an angry one accompanied by arrows and spells. He gripped her hand firmly in response and the elf seemed to calm down from the tiefling's touch.

"Look this is getting stupid. These guys are from the surface, and they're adventurers! ", shouted Hanis.

Zax seemed uneasy at the term, even though his official title was Royal Adventurer, but noticed Sharliss seemed to smile and radiate pride at that remark.

"The Sea Lord told us to look out for adventurers and give them a hero's welcome. Didn't she? Something about them naturally seeking out the dangerous denizens of the area. These guys just wiped out Sarukh and Yitru, we should welcome them with open arms ! ", huffed Hanis.

"She did indeed issue that order, but she also told us to remain vigilant. They'll need more proof that they're from the surface to be allowed entrance in Dark Barkwark. ", challenged the voice.

Zax pretty much had enough of this, he motioned Hanis to stop . The half elf seemed frustrated at the lack of progress and motioned the tiefling to give it a try.

Zax smiled, negotiations and getting his way with people by the power of his wit and charm were a talent of his. The tiefling was confident that after a few minutes of conversation he would not only be allowed in the goofy named city, but would be given a hero's welcome as well.

"Greetings. I am Zax, and I humbly request to enter you city. My companions and I have no ill attentions towards you . We only came here after we stumbled into an entrance to the underdark. After destroying a villainous brood of snake and lizard men, we decided to pursue our crusade further into the depths. If our appearance is unsettling, we apologize . It was a disguise we assumed that we thought would allow us to blend with the inhabitants. Due to our inexperience with the lower depths, we had no idea that an outpost of Barkwark existed underground. Please allow us entry so we can regroup and plan the next stage of our expedition. In exchange we will provide any information we have learned of the area you refer to as the Scaled Citadel.", shouted Zax in his most sincere diplomatic voice.

Isula nodded , while Sharliss barely restrained herself from clapping with approval. Darwen however simply rolled her eyes at Zax's articulate words. The elf had been with the tiefling long enough to know that his speeches normally started off good, but seemed to incite a problem as many times that it defused them . She half expected a verbal slip up soon that would place them all in some great jeopardy.

"Hmmm... I guess we can allow you in ...but under observation! ", responded the voice.

Zax turned to his companions and gave them a cocky smirk. Once again he saved the day , he thought to himself. He thought his hosts deserved a nice finishing flourish. Something that he learned from his brief stay in Grom city, the tiefling knew it would impress his hosts.

"The Zug Folk have always been known as a noble and generous people ! ", Zax said with a flourish and a bow.

Before Zax could react, he could see arrows drawn and wands from the gate house pointed at him. Even Hanis and the rest of the half elven patrol drew their weapons and steadily aimed them at Zax. The previously cheerful half elf face was a grimace of anger.

"Errr...did I say something wrong?", Zax squeaked as he was confronted by a ring of angry half elves.

* * *

><p>The angry half elf infuriated Erland. The Grand Champion of the Squirrel slammed his fist onto his desk in anger. "My actions shall not be dictated by the so called "Tree Keeper" of the Ice elves. The giant raiders are already at our borders, and if the reports are to believed have already begun raiding our neighbors to the south. The voting portion of the Champions' council shall be held and we shall take action immediately! " , declared the veteran warrior knight. Although the council had official started, only minor affairs and duels were being processed. The last champion council was held after the defeat of the Great Horde, so there was plenty of buisness to sort through, however the main reason the council was held was to determine a war leader , a Grand Champion, to lead the Great Host against the invading giants.<p>

The elaborately dressed elven priestess before him returned an angry gaze. "Whoa there Snappy ! How thick headed are you? First off , if we held the big vote right now, we both know who would win. Your weaselly little comrade from the Griffon has been engaged in obvious attempts at intimidation and bribery of the minor electors. We have no proof but everyone knows which order orchestrated that raid in Grom. I highly doubt 300 griffon knights would get together randomly to perform a cash run. It doesn't take a genius to see who benefited and who lost from that little escapade. If we held this election now , Lord Felwind would be the new Grand Champion . His first act would be to exile you or maybe even execute you. Afterwards he'll most likely banish or hunt down my people. IF ..he finally chooses to get off his lazy ass and fight the giant horde, I doubt he would have Grommish support. In short, you'll be screwed. Your people would be screwed...and most importantly I'll be screwed!", declared Surry.

The pair exchanged lethal glances for several long seconds, the knights stationed outside the war tent gripped their weapons tightly half expecting actual combat to erupt between them. Not that they would interfere, most detested the harpy half elf and had confidence in their leaders supreme combat ability.

The heroic Grand Champion Erland of the Squirrel and the mysterious elven Tree Keeper Surry of the Ice elves glared at each other furiously. They were both cornered politically , and knew their list of allies were short. Unfortunately for them, the list included each other.

"Screwed...and not in a good way. ", Surry continued with a wink.

Erland chuckled and the tension drained out of him at the jest . Partially from her bawdy suggestion but mostly because he had trouble finding anyone could make love to such an ill tempered and plain looking woman. Most of the elves he had met were graceful, beautiful creatures with soft sensual features, but the half elf before was characterized more by her hard features and buisness like appearance. " I understand the situation. I understand it too well in fact. Unfortunately for myself, the vote has been delayed long enough. For reasons beyond my control I might add. If I postpone it anymore then it would appear I was attempting to cling to power , and any support I still had from my allies would evaporate. I must hold the vote as soon as possible and hope that common sense will prevail.", explained the tired champion.

Surry nodded sympathetically, her previous fury seemed to have been drained as well. "I know, but currently the votes are stacked against you. If you wait for the Warmaster to return, his clout with the orders and the Grommers could swing things to your favor. ", pleaded the Tree Keeper.

"Regardless if I win or not, I must put my faith that Felwind is honorable enough to put aside our petty differences and deal with this giant incursion.", sighed Erland.

"Its not an incursion. Its an all out invasion.", corrected Surry.

The squirrel champion stared at the crude maps before him. The half elf was correct, the giants had appeared on their lands in numbers greater then had ever been seen. His scouts also report that they were taking slaves and constructing massive structures. This was definitely the act of conquerors and not plunderers. The foe must be driven out and soon while they were still enjoying the short summer. If winter came and they were entrenched it would take years if not decades to drive them out, if at all.

"We need a leader, and soon. If I am to be exiled and banished, I can accept that if it means my people are united against our foe.", stated Erland numbly, already consigned to his fate.

"I can't accept that. The Griffon has been the most xenophobic of all the orders. They've already attempted to drive my people out of our ancestral lands recently. I can understand the Snow Lion having issue with our presence, but our lands are nowhere near the Erie of the Griffons. They hate and detest our presence, only because we are elves or of elven descent . They even call us abominations. We've narrowly defeated them in our last skirmish and have drove them back for now, but if Felwind becomes Grand Champion, we both know he'll use his power to bring the full force of the Orders on my people. ", Surry said while shaking her head.

"I will request that your people be spared in exchange for a peaceful transition of power. Otherwise, I will stand with your people if Felwind chooses to destroy them. I am still a knight and honor is my code.", replied Erland.

Surry looked at the Grand Champion and studied his face. He appeared over 50 years of age in human years, though that was hard to judge due to the proliferation of life extending magic. He had a muscular but still lean frame, and his body was covered by the scars of numerous battles. Although she only knew him for a short time, she inexplicably trusted him and believed in his word.

"If only all knight's follow your code.", sighed the Tree Keeper. " That's not good enough. I'm sure you can fight as well as 10 men, but that means nothing to the full force of the Orders. My people can only survive if you retain the mantle of Grand Champion. I know you have to make a decision soon, all I 'm asking is you delay it a little while longer. If my father , Warmaster Fetch returns then all is saved, otherwise we're still doomed. At the very least it gives my people a week to prepare for our exodus again. I know I have no right to ask this and I have no buisness in your affairs, but one week is all I ask. ", asked Surry while humbly bowing, all trace of her signature arrogance and haughtiness gone. She knew full well that there was no chance of flight if the relentless Order of the Griffon were in pursuit. With the unreliable nature of travel magic and the blockade of the ports, her people would be doomed.

Erland looked at the elf . He had known her for only a year but became quickly aware of her fiery temper and audacity. As Grand Champion he was one of the first to meet the priest and her returning people, and one of the first to suffer her verbal wrath. He would have struck her down for her insolence, but she reminded him of some murky memory from his distant past. After enduring her harpy mouth, he decided her ancestral claims to her land and her association with the Warmaster were a legitimate enough reason to support her claim. Her people's and her own vast magical powers and skills were an asset to the north, and she was quick to point it out. In time, as his allies fled from his camp, he found that despite her flaws she was a staunch albeit annoying ally. She could have fled before the Champions council started, but her belief in what's right, and her overwhelming pride kept her at his side. For her to ask for assistance so humbly was something he had never thought to see.

"...One week then...However this means I must humble myself and personally ask the Griffon to delay the vote. I somehow think they will agree to it though. They realize the longer we wait, the weaker my position will be. They have no fears that the Warmaster will return.", relented the Grand Champion.

"Thank you.. ", replied Surry sincerely with a bow. The elven Tree Keeper turned and proceeded to exit the tent.

"Lady Surry ...Why didn't you leave with your people when you still had a chance?",asked Erland before she left.

Surry paused and turned, "Well besides the fact that an organized retreat is nigh impossible. This is our home. We belong here. I have faith in my family...and I have faith in you, Snappy.", she replied with a wink.

* * *

><p>Halvor stared at the empty slave pens. They were crudely constructed with many gaps on the walls suitable for the prisoners to flee. Even though Kirgi was examining them to see if there were any signs of escape, the big knight knew there weren't any. As he looked at the half eaten corpses staked around the corrals, he guessed that the bars were more of an artificial barrier, showing where the prisoners could wander. Fear of being killed and devoured probably kept most of the giant's thralls in line.<p>

Adria swooped through the air , scanning the area aerially for signs of their prey. Petrus had somehow evolved her temporarily so she had wings to better suit their scouting needs. Halvor had seen him do something similar before, but it was mainly minor changes. A flaming fist, or increased size seemed to pale in comparison to granting her wings. The big knight nodded to Petrus in appreciation that he had grown greatly in power. Halvor wondered if his skill had increased sufficient enough for the trials that laid ahead of him.

"Adria reports no sign of the giants or their boats. This fog makes it difficult to spot them. They're long gone it seems. ", reported the summoner .

"Two days it seems. ",noted Sarin . Sharliss's maid pinched the big elf to catch his attention and whispered something into his ear. "Errr...they also left on three long boats. From the tracks I'm guessing there was about 120 giants at this landing spot, and roughly 200 slaves.",added the half elf.

Halvor thought the maid Nymk would have been better off staying in Lower Lueders, but Sarin insisted they take her along. He had suspicions that she was more then she seemed, but had no real proof of it. He would rather not gamble the life of a civilian on only his hunches. The half elf claim she knew the northern territories well and was handy with a bow. Despite her skills Halvor was still leery of taking her with them, however he knew half elves were full of eccentricities so relented in accepting her on his mission.

The big knight's reservations seemed pointless though , as his foe had escaped his grasp. If the half elf's judgement of their departure was correct, they had left shortly after they even began their quest. All his confidence building in himself , and mental preparations for his battle against the giants seemed to be for naught. Halvor shook in frustration as thoughts of his family in some giant long boat's holding pen haunted him.

"I only found one set of tracks that suggested anyone escaped. ", said Kirgi as he returned.

Halvor's hopes were briefly raised, but the dwarf shook his head grimly. "The giants caught up to the man and ...made an example of him."

"You tried at least, you were willing to confront the giants . That counts for something. ", said Petrus sympathetically and unexpectedly. Halvor always thought of the summoner as a person that valued results over all else. He didn't expect to hear a consolation speech from him.

"It's not over yet. I'll go to Lower Lueders and rent a boat. I'll catch them and rescue my family. ", declared Halvor with all the bravado he could muster.

"It would be near impossible to hire a boat with the threat of the giant raiders in the area. Even the most profit hungry captain would wait a few days if not weeks before sailing forth. Even if you did manage to hire a vessel crazy enough to pursue an army of giants, do you know where they went? There's thousands of miles of coastline, fjords and inlets from here to Norwold. Where would you begin to look? ", stated Nymk with a hint of pity and sorrow in her voice.

Sarin shook his head, "We'll head back to Lower Lueders. Father Ferdinand owes my family, he's a seer or something, maybe he can locate them. Most of my family is away , but I'll call favors in if I have to. I'll even yank Lord Kerr's chain if we need to . If that doesn't work out, maybe my family servant Yasmina can help. She has genie powers and stuff.", babbled the paladin in support of the big knight.

Lady Kania raised an eyebrow at the mention of Yasmina and genie powers. She was content to see this suicide mission fail before anyone was hurt, but it sounded like Sarin was determined to see this through. Paladin's were very stubborn creatures it seemed. If they were going to track and pursue the giants, the lamia did not want some other supernatural creature succeeding where she didn't. It was bad enough Sarin had chosen a mate, but to be replaced by another guardian spirit was unacceptable to Kania.

"Perhaps I can be of service.", interjected the lamia.

Lady Kania walked to the edge of the water, and raised her hands while invoking a series of arcane words and phrases. The group wasn't sure what to expect and waited nervously for the results of the lamia's conjuration.

Several minutes went by uneventfully until Kania pointed to the ocean. Everyone stared blankly at where she pointed and didn't see anything at first, but then saw several flipping and clattering dolphins swim towards the shore line. The tall blonde waded into the water and petted one of the animals as it clattered and chittered happily. Oddly enough , the group expected her gauzy white robe to go transparent in the water, but it seemed resistant , almost unaffected by the waves. As she petted the dolphin she seemed to sink into the water and in mere moments another dolphin appeared. The new creature seemed similar to the others with one notable physical difference, it had fierce feline eyes.

"As a priestess of Arcturus, the mistress of beasts, I have beseeched the ocean for aid. This school of dolphins have heeded my summons and will assist us .", said the new dolphin happily in Kania's voice.

"Err...I know its summer and all, but the water is still freezing. I don't think this this is a good idea. ", Kirgi said while suspiciously eying the cat eyed dolphin.

"True, but I can render a person immune to the elements for an entire day with my magic. I can even give them the ability to swim or breath water if they require it. ", retorted Kania. She waved her flipper and the group found them selves unaffected by the numbing cold of the waters.

Sarin and Nymk regarded the sea going mounts nervously. Riding horses was one thing, but riding dolphins was a completely different matter. To their surprise the beasts were more then willing to accommodate them, and they both were pleasantly surprised how much fun it was to ride the creatures.

Petrus turned down the shape changed lamia's offer. Instead he waved Adria to the ground. The two shared a silent word together, and she waded into the water as well. The summoner invoked a spell, and the eidolon's wings disappeared. Instead her leg's merged together and formed a giant fish tail. Even more strange was that the normally bald Adria sprouted a mane of green hair . Petrus piggybacked on the eidolon while grasping her hair and signaled they were ready.

Kirgi stared at his dolphin as the others waited for him. The dwarf was unafraid of the water, and the creature seemed friendly and willing enough. However he steadfastly refused to ride the beast.

'"There is no way any self respecting dwarf will ride a dolphin. That's the greatest insult to a dwarf ever ! What's next, you want us to jump through hoops? Tread water for fish? Bounce a ball off our noses?", declared the dwarf while visibly shaking with disgust.

Sarin , Nymk, and Halvor sighed as they recalled the ancient dwarven insult. "May you become a blacksmith, and pretend you're a dolphin and jump through a hoop of humiliation.", muttered the half elf in reference to Kirgi's statement.

"What does that even mean? It doesn't even make sense.", declared a puzzled Petrus. "Oh never mind, I suspect we don't have time to waste.", he said before waiting for an answer. He invoked another spell, and Adria seemed to lengthen slightly longer. The dwarf eagerly climbed aboard the mermaid eidilon while giving angry glares at the dolphins.

Halvor sighed as the group seemed ready to pursue their foes. He waved the group forward as they followed Kania into the ocean .

"So, why were you flipping out over dolphins Kirgi? That doesn't seem like you?", asked Petrus as Adria splashed through the waves.

Kirgi of course refused to answer that statement, as he remained tight lipped and glared at the sleek ocean going mammals.

Adria sighed as she swam in pursuit, "This dimension is not like ours. Dolphins, and more specifically dolphins jumping through a hoop is a grave insult to any dwarf here. I am not sure the reason , but its as insulting as calling half orcs pig men, or confusing halflings for kenders., or calling half elves..."

* * *

><p>"What...did ...you ...just ...call ...us?", hissed Hanis as arrows , wands and spells of an indeterminate number of elves were pointed at Zax<p>

The tiefling carefully considered his words, "Err..Zug Folk?", he answered warily.

The formerly friendly Hanis scowled. His face turned into a mask of hate. Zax could feel their collective killing intent.

The tiefling paused and saw his life flashed before his eyes. He cursed himself for all life's regrets. Not becoming a druid, not laughing in Lady Nayra's face, and of course not taking a pleasure cruise to Irendi with Darwen . As Zax despaired he suddenly felt the overwhelming urge of Dragon's flame to spring into his hand at that instant. Power coursed through his arm as he grasped the weapon. The tiefling was fully prepared to slay the patrol, and anyone else that got in his way. He considered a quick throat slash to Hanis . Afterwards he could cover the distance of the rest of the patrol with three bounds. A few were clustered close enough that he could slay several of them in one blow. The giant was blocking one of the patrol archers, but Zax knew he could hamstring Isula and topple her on top of the remaining patrol man. He would then pull the pinned man out and use him as cover. Afterwards he would sprint to the Keep with his shield . He was unsure of the exact amount of guards, but knew they would not fire on their fellows initially. He gauged they would get a single volley at them, but was confident his reluctant blocker could absorb most of the damage. Once he got to the gate he was certain that he could slice it open. From there , it would be a simple matter of engaging the defenders in hand to hand in the narrow passages of the gate house. Zax smiled evilly as the sword plotted its attack.

"Wait! ", exclaimed Darwen, "He doesn't know any better. He doesn't realize that phrase is your phrase. He is a tiefling after all, and tieflings aren't known for their social graces.", the elf cried as she placed herself between Zax and the angry mob of half elves.

Darwen's plea seemed to have worked. Hanis's grim visage relented as he relaxed. "Tell him its a rude and offensive term. He should watch his tongue.", replied Hanis gruffly.

"I'm right here you know. ", grumbled Zax as Darwen and the half elves rudely ignored him. All thoughts of his murderous spree seemed to have vanish just as quickly as they manifested . With the killing intent that was focused on him gone, so too was the sword's bloodlust.

"I shall punish him harshly for his crude manners. ", barked the elf, with a bit of her old military swagger.

Darwen's declaration seemed to pacify the angry mob, and a semblance of order returned. Hanis allowed the group to enter, but his friendly nature seemed to be replace by a more aloof attitude. He accompanied the group , but was more reserved in his manner.

"I don't understand what happened.", stammered Zax.

"Just be thankful we're allowed into Dark Barkwark. ", replied Sharliss barely containing her laughter.

"See! See...even she finds the name funny. ", Zax sputtered to Darwen.

The elf shook her head, as the group proceeded past the gate structure. Sharliss, Darwen and Zax were taken back as they entered a massive cavern . They had reached Denzalow, the vault of the Drow. It's ceiling seemed to be several hundred feet tall, and it was miles in length and width. Around them were cultivated fields of mushrooms , mosses and lichens. Further to the edge of the cavern seemed to be pens of exotic lizards and other beasts. Several palatial estates and manors seemed to dot the walls and fields of the massive cave. Finally on a cliff on the farside of the vault , laid a massive sprawling city, seemingly bustling with activity Dark Bark Wark.

"So when do we get to kill something?", asked Isula with a yawn, unimpressed with the sight before her.


	45. Chapter 45

They were guided by the reluctant Hanis to the lower port area of the city of Dark BarkWark. Zax wondered how the cavern wasn't flooded if it was connected to the ocean. He assumed magic was involved but saw no sign of it . The buildings seemed almost alien to the tiefling. Their architecture suggested that they were almost grown from the ground and warped by some ancient eldritch magic. Despite this, the occupants of the city seem to dominate the bizarre structures to the point that the tiefling was reminiscent of Lower Lueders or Grom City. Besides the buildings ,the obvious underground environment, and the drow and half drow populace, Dark BarkWark seemed like a regular bustling Grommish city. Merchant's bickering, children playing, and the sounds of commerce filled the twilight city.

"So...Hanis...that's kind of an odd name.", commented Zax trying to get back on the portly half elf patrol leader's good graces.

The half elf shot him a cold stare that silenced the tiefling abruptly.

Sharliss of course didn't see the tension between the two and explained it in her normal sagely fashion," That's the way elves name their children. They aren't like humans , dwarves or even tieflings. Due to their artistic natures they want to name their children something unique. However, because they are so long lived , they've heard of a lot of names. Because they have heard of a lot of different names, they are normally reduced to naming their children something silly, or use the more common practice of giving a famous name a slight derivation. "

Zax saw that Hanis was uncomfortable being lectured about his people's naming conventions, but the tiefling's curiosity won out over all courtesy. "I'm not 100% sure what you are talking about. Are you saying Hanis is just a derivative of another name?", inquired Zax.

"Yes...", sighed Darwen , interrupting the priestess, " Hanis is most likely named after that famous half elf from Krynn. If you want to know , I'm named after a half elven princess from the lands of Eriador on the continent of Rhun. "

"Wow..I didn't know that. ", grinned Zax widely. To him Darwen was his princess, but it just seemed extra special that she was named after one. " So was this guy in Krynn a real bad ass ? Was he like 400 lbs or something."

Hanis shook his head, "Sadly no. He was a great hero that fought the dragon armies there, but sadly he spent half his time divided whether to follow his human or elven side. Not realizing the clear option of following his half elven one. T"

Darwen's face remained passive, but Zax saw her own conflict mirrored the one of the ancient hero. She was an elf in human lands. She wanted to fit in ,so adopted their ways, but she still yearned to be with her people. Despite learning the art of blade singing, her knowledge of her own culture was lacking. Although Zax was in a similar position, he never had that problem. Tieflings were a gypsy like people, they followed whatever the dominant race's customs were. He was sure if he was born in baator, he would have been wielding a pitchfork and attending ritual human sacrifice ceremonies . He wondered if it would have been better that way. His life with the humans had been nothing but a constant struggle, but he had achieve some success . He mused about if it would have been easier amongst infernals, or if they would have treated him worse.

"We're here. ", said Hanis abruptly. The half elf had guided them to a large pool with several adjoining buildings next to it. It was several hundred feet wide, but the water seemed stagnant. Zax grew up next to the ocean , and could hardly believe that this puddle was this city's link to the ocean.

"Good day to you and I hope you find what you seek. ", said Hanis gruffly as he left his charges.

Isula waited till the half elf was out of sight. "That was odd don't you think? They clearly don't trust us, but they give us free reign to explore their city. ", she whispered to her companions.

Sharliss shook her head, "Don't let their jovial natures deceive you. They aren't as trusting as you think. Our hosts are keeping an eye on us. ", the priestess smiled while motioning to a seemingly barren rooftop then to a dark alley.

Isula and Darwen didn't move their heads or change their gazes, but nodded knowingly. Zax of course had no clue what they were talking about and try peering where Sharliss indicated. To his disappointment he didn't see anything, so he nodded his head , acting like he was in complete control of the situation.

"If I recall, this area is connected to the ocean by a series of locks. Its similar to the engineering marvels that the cities of Darokin and Thyatis employ to allow ships to sail upstream to the more busy trade cities. However, the ships here have to be completely submersible. ", explained Darwen.

"Excellent, so we just have to find a submersible vessel to take us to our destination. ", chimed Sharliss happily.

"One that has air for us surface dwellers.", added Zax.

"No need, I can provide the magic to allow us to breathe underwater if needed. ", smiled the priestess.

"Excellent, the sooner we leave the better. I don't know how these half drow can stand living down here. ", sniffed Isula.

Zax agreed completely with the shrunken giant, and saw from his companion's faces that they agreed as well . The tunnels seemed confining to him, and were slowly driving him mad. Only Bucky the dwarven war pony seemed unaffected by the stone enclosures . The sturdy beast didn't seem to care where he was as long as he got his drug laced apple every day. Although Zax wanted to leave as soon as possible,but he didn't want to leave too soon. He still wanted to drag his feet and sabotage this mission by running out the time.

"Let's split up. This has been a trying few days. I'll take Darwen and Bucky and find an inn or something. I'm pretty sure since the majority of the people here are half elves from the surface they have some type of similar establishment . Sharliss and Isula can find us transport. We'll meet up later. ", Zax said cheerfully.

Darwen wanted to say that they could rest in the magical wagon of Sharliss, but she declined to comment. The last few days between the battles with the snakemen, and the various denizens of the underdark they met were a bit stressful and intense. She could use something as simple as an inn to refocus her thoughts. She also needed some time alone with Zax. She had been a bit blunt with him recently and wanted to reaffirm her commitment to him. She knew she could be a bit sarcastic at times, and it had a way of putting people off. Even those close to her.

Sharliss reluctantly agreed . They were on a tight schedule, but Zax did make some sense. The last few days had been filled with danger, and they needed time to regroup before the next leg of the journey.

* * *

><p>"Move over...you're going too slow...Don't let Halvor pass us...Look out for that wave!", yammered Kirgi as he sat behind Petrus on the strange mermaid form of Adria.<p>

The summoner grumbled something about backseat drivers but mainly ignored the dwarf. They were making good progress to track their prey. Even though the ocean was mostly obscured by fog, the dolphins easily managed to track the giant long boats. The summoner considered having Adria assume a flying form, but the fog would make tracking the giants and more importantly following their companions difficult.

"Adria? How are we tracking them? ", asked the dwarf . Tracking on dry land was his specialty but tracking a creature in water seemed ludicrous if not down right impossible.

Petrus bristled at the dwarf addressing his eidolon instead of himself. He was the master, while Adria was a simple construct drawn from the aether . Primal energy given shape , mind and form by his iron will. It was true that she was a bit more independent and talkative then most eidolons, but at the end of the day he could banish her back to the aether with a whim if he choose.

Adria nodded at Petrus with a grin, seemingly understanding her master's need to act superior to the dwarf , and allowed him to answer the dwarf's question.

"Tracking in water is unlike tracking on land. It involves more inductive then deductive reasoning. There are no obvious tracks of course, the endless waves of the ocean would disperse them easily. However, there are other ways to determine our prey's course. Knowing the general layout of the coast, the strength of the tides, the direction of the winds, gives us an idea what our enemy is thinking when deciding his course. Also the type of vessel he has and the amount of cargo it carries , lets us know the speed and maneuverability he has access to. Given his choices, its a simple matter to determine the distance and direction of our prey. ", declared the summoner smugly.

The dwarf nodded at the summoner. Not fully believing him, but having no better source of information to go on.

Petrus of course smiled cockily . Knowing he was once more ahead of the dwarf in more ways then one.

The group swam for a bit till Adria finally spoke. "Its the scent and the sound, that's how we are tracking them. Despite how much you hate dolphins, they do have keen senses. "

"Awww...", said Kirgi as the his illusion was shattered.

Petrus was annoyed that his own eidolon had corrected him. Despite this he was curious about the dwarf's disappointment.

"You are sadden that I am incorrect?", querried the summoner.

"No , not really. I was pretty much sure you were full of crap. However I was hoping the answer was something more fantastic.", sighed the dwarf .

"More fantastic?", asked Petrus and Adria simultaneously.

"Oh you know. The infamous parliament of fishes of the second age.", answered Kirgi coyly.

"Parliament ..of ..fishes. Explain . ", demanded a puzzled Petrus.

"Oh you know...sea rangers...parliament of fishes...the guy goes to a pool, and all the sea creatures spring up and hold court and helps the wily sea ranger with a boon. A Sea Ranger can demand a service of a school of aquatic creatures . Typical services include the location or recovery of small items, the provision of edible water plants, information about local monsters or conditions, and perhaps transport across a small body of water if the parliament members are large enough . If I was born in a different age, and if I had grew up by the sea...I would've wanted to become a sea ranger , just to see that amazing power in action. ", explained the dwarf wistfully.

The eidolon and the summoner stared blankly at the dwarf, they had never heard of such a fanciful tale.

"Errr...Kirgi. I know ancient tales have a shred of truth in them, are you sure these sea rangers of yours are just some druids employing animal summoning magics. They can call forth quite a large assortment of sea creatures with that. ", asked Petrus nervously, not wanting to anger the obviously deranged dwarf.

"Pffft...I thought you were a summoner. This ability allows one to converse and question the sea creatures. Imagine the conversations one could have with friend otter, noble tuna, mischievous sardine, talkative eel, even jerk face dolphin. Oh to have such a grand power. ", pined Kirgi.

Petrus shook his head. Although they were immune to the freezing cold water, the waves and crashing foam were clearly affecting the dwarf's already limited cognitive abilities.

"Hey , it could be worse . At least he's not throwing up.", added Adria to the summoner's unspoken thoughts.

* * *

><p>Zax threw up all over the tavern table. Darwen rolled her eyes , while Sharliss and Isula cringed backwards at the display. The rest of the bar laughed at the tiefling.<p>

"Ack..ptui ..ptui..ptui... Someone should have told me that the beer was made of slime mold. ", sputtered the tiefling.

"The pretty waitress you were flirting with said it was slime mold ale . You were too busy ...flirting ...with her to listen it seems. ", said Darwen coldly as she finished her own "slime mold" ale. She frowned at the taste, but didn't seem overly repulsed by the beverage.

"errr...I wasn't flirting, I was just ..umm...establishing a connection to get some good rumors. That's what adventurer's do right? Get rumors from a bar right?", stammered the tiefling , now aware of the icy stare his elven companion was giving him.

"Yes, a place of drunks is where wild rumors leading to fabulous treasure are found. Truth be told, one day I hope to run an inn. Bake pies for travelers or something along those lines. Maybe teach a cooking class. ", giggled Sharliss. She waited for their pretty and unimpressed drow waitress to clean up their table, and gave her a gold coin for her efforts. The pretty dark skin elf smiled at the gratuity and happily resumed her work.

Isula returned the group's attention back to the task at hand. "Finding a vessel to take us to the surface is easy, finding one to take us to Narwhal hold is much more difficult. Although they are submersible, traveling on the surface is still the fastest way to go. The threat of giants make most captains reluctant. Also the surface conflicts have also presented an opportunity for unrest from the more violent underwater races. Increased raids against coastal villages , the sea elves , and the locanath has been perpetrated by the Kingdoms of the Aboloth, the empire of the saughain and the dreaded Theocracy of the Ixitxachitl ..."

"Ixyxixy? ", mimiced Zax.

"Ixitxachitl...", repeated Isula.

"Ix it attic ? ", asked Zax .

"Ixitxachitl ", repeated the small giant again, barely containing her annoyance.

"Its a chittle ? ", tried Zax again .

"Ixitxachitl...Ixitxachitl... IXITXACHITL... !", delcared Isula angrily at the tiefling.

"Err...evil vampire manta ray...", Sharliss interjected before the giant committed violence against Zax.

"Oh...why didn't you say so...", answered Zax knowingly. Typical for the tiefling, he had no clue what they were talking about, but nodded his head sagely . He pretended the misunderstanding was from giant making a mistake in pronunciation, not his ignorance of some obscure dungeoneering term.

Isula counted to herself a few seconds to calm down before continuing her speech," We located one vessel and captain though that is willing to take us, but the price is ...high."

Zax was ecstatic from the news, if the price was too high then they couldn't go. This will be too easy he thought. "How much is ...high? ", the tiefling asked in his best serious concerned tone.

"For 4 of us, and the ...pony...25 thousand Grommish Crowns. ", declared Sharliss grimly.

"25 k? That's ridiculous! This is an outrage! ", declared Zax with mock indignation. Secretly though, the tiefling was hopping and doing cartwheels around the bar. Even if he was sincere in helping Sharliss, he didn't have that much cash, and doubt, the entire party had that much even if they pooled their money together.

"Zax can haggle that down ! I'm sure of it! ", declared Darwen confidently.

"Err...let's not get ahead of ourselves... These captains are crafty traders. As a professional in the transportation and shipping buisness, I can honestly say I find it very rude for a fare to haggle the price of a trip. I'm sure if I attempted to negotiate , that would seem like an insult to the captain. ", Zax said quickly to discredit the elf's otherwise fine idea.

"Zax is correct. I already attempted to reduce the price, and was met with little success. Its a danger filled trip and we risk not only ourselves, but to her , her crew and her ship as well. ", sighed the priestess. "If I sell my jewels , I think I can raise around 10,000. Sadly , besides the cart I do not possess many valuable magic items, except my circlet of course. I am loathe to part with it though, it was given to me by my dear aunt Henrietta before she passed away. "

" I wish I had something to donate, but I only have the armor and weapon given to me by Sarin. I don't feel right selling such artifacts. Zax had around 5k on him. We're just 10k short. ", added Darwen. Zax glared at her in surprise and anger. That was suppose to be the money they were going to use to travel to Irendi. Although he shared much with his elven consort, he didn't expect her to volunteer such private information so freely.

"I only have my spear and armor. ", shrugged the giant .

Sharliss considered her plight. She had finally arrived at a port , and found a captain to take her to Narwhal port. However she was stymied by lack of funds, and her rapidly dwindling time. She couldn't ask her friends to sacrifice so much , especially if there was no guarantee they would make it in time.

"I would do anything to assist you Sharliss, I really would. ", gushed the tiefling in his most honest, helpful voice , and manipulative voice . " However I hate to break it to you guys, but there's an obvious solution to this. Its 25k for 4 of us and a pony right? That's 5k a berth. Well...I hate to break up a super team, but we could just send 3 of us north couldn't we? "

Sharliss began to protest , but remained silent as the reality set in . The group mulled over this particular option . The priestess would obviously take up a spot. Isula was an obvious second choice. That left one spot open. Bucky would only follow Zax, so would not be a choice. If they chose Zax, he would refuse. Claiming truthfully he could not leave Darwen alone. If they chose Darwen , Zax hoped that she was still timid enough to not leave his side. It was a risky bet though, he knew that she desired adventure and to be with her people, but he also knew she was still not confident with her abilities and still used him as some sort of support.

"Can't we all fit in your magical wagon or one of the pocket worlds while its folded ? We only have to pay one fare then. ", asked Isula while pointing to the folded up cart in one of the priestess's pockets.

"Pocket dimensions? ", asked Zax and Darwen simultaneously.

Sharliss shook her head, ignoring the tiefling and elf's question. "That would be akin to theft and dishonest. As much as I wish to rescue Sarin and aid my father, I doubt they would approve if we stowaway on the captain's vessel. She's risking everything to get us to Narwhal hold, and we repay her by cheating her ? I think not. Even if I did attempt to do such a miscreant deed, the captain seems quite skilled in magic. I suspect she would spot our deception easily.", explained the priestess.

Isula shrugged at Sharliss's explanation and waved to the waitress for another slime mold ale. The giant seemed to have no problem ingesting this underground elixir.

As they mulled their options again, a woman with a stylized naval uniform and a elaborate triconda captain's hat sat on their table. She had short red hair and had almost bronze skin which seemed out of place in the underground city. The tiefling assumed that wasn't her natural hair color and noted that the athletic looking woman's overall appearance was quite attractive . Zax thought there was a peculiar youthfulness to the woman, that did not seem to match the station she was obviously portraying. Then he blinked and he realized his answer.

"You're a half elf. ", he stated as it dawned on him.

"Captain Blaze at your service. ", she smiled and bowed. "We prefer the term Zug folk. ", she added with a wink.

* * *

><p>Kirgi rode on the mermaid form of Adria through the mists for what seemed like hours . He wasn't tired though, the oddly exhilarating feeling or racing through the ocean , and the constant stares of the evil dolphins kept the dwarf wide awake. The dwarf wondered when their journey would end, then suddenly a thought struck him.<p>

"Err..Petrus...are these the same mists that froze time and shit like that ?", the dwarf asked the summoner.

"I wondered the same thing myself,but I do not think they are. They seem to be naturally occurring and I have confirmed they are not magical.", explained Petrus.

"Silence you two. Something is coming up.", hissed Adria as she began to slow down. The mermaid and the dolphins indeed came to a halt and the silhouette of a massive ship was before them.

The group remained motionless in the water for awhile until a dolphin , presumably a scout, appeared. It chattered and squeaked something to the cat eyed dolphin .

"There are three vessels , I assume they are pausing for a meal break or something, before they resume rowing. We are fortunate that the current winds are not sufficient to propel their vessels.", replied the dolphin with the cats eyes.

Halvor looked at the vessel before him. This is what he wanted, now what was he going to do? Over take a longship full of frost giants? Then what ? Have the prisoners jump overboard and swim to shore? They didn't have enough magic to protect them all from the frigid waters. The big knight seemed unable to make a decision to their next course of action.

Sarin noticed this and stepped in. " Petrus, are you able to create a raft or a life boat or something with your magic? That can hold say 50 or so people? "

The summoner nodded and replied quietly ,"I can create one large boat or several small ones, but they will only last half a day at most. "

Sarin nodded , and considered his options.

"They will be keeping the prisoners in the hold, that's normally located in the middle and to the rear of the ship . I assume either Kania or Petrus can provide us some sort of darkness or additional fog to hide their escape?", explained the large half elf.

"I can provide an illusion .", the Lamia answered.

"Excellent, we just need to slow the target vessel enough so that it splits from the main group. ", continued the paladin.

"I can accomplish that.", volunteered Adria.

The half elf nodded. "Do we know which long ship the prisoners are in? Or are they on all of them?", inquired Sarin .

Kania asked the dolphin in their bizarre chittering language. After a few seconds she shook her head. "She does not know."

"I can find out . ", replied Nymk as she silently slipped into the water. Kirgi wanted to say something about the dangers of household staff in a warzone , but she was gone . He looked in the water but she had vanished as if she wasn't even there.

"I'm beginning to think , she's not a real maid. ", commented Petrus to the dwarf.

"Excellent. We just need an opportunity to rescue the prisoners now. A direct attack would be foolish, but perhaps a distraction will work. ", pondered Sarin while scratching his once multiple chins.

Petrus smiled and patted his pack, "I believe , I saved a little something, that might be able to do the trick." . Kirgi stared at the pack, and was slightly repulsed and intrigued when it began to move.


	46. Chapter 46

"Ta da! ", flourished Petrus as he pulled out his grisly trophy.

The small band were both stunned and repulsed at the sight they saw. Even the dolphins blinked and attempted to obscure their vision from the summoner's gruesome display.

"My gawds...", whispered Halvor.

"Get that thing away from me.. ", shivered Nymk.

"Whoa..neat! Can I touch it ?", asked Kirgi once he recovered from his initial surprise.

"Of course you can Kirgi...see its perfectly harmless.", said Petrus smugly, as he offered the object to the dwarf.

"Whoa..whoa..whoa...its still moving. ", exclaimed the dwarf after the object in the summoner's hand twitched at his touch.

"Ok, this is getting stupid. Why do you have a live severed Ogre Magi head in your pack? And why hasn't it regrown yet? Pretty sure these guys regenerate. ", demanded Sarin , unamused by this macabre spectacle.

"If you recall , after Zax stormed Fortress Grom and slew the Ogre mage , Frederick or something he called himself...he planted its head on a pike . As you know , an ogre mage can regenerate his body fully even from a hand or ...in this case a head. However, fire and acid can prevent its healing powers. As a summoner who dabbles in fire magics, it was quite easy to cauterize its stump to prevent it from retaking its monstrous form.", explained Petrus calmly.

"You've ...kept this creature alive, in eternal agony ...to amuse yourself? ", asked Kania, shocked at the barbarity of civilized men.

"Of course not. If it was fully conscious of its pain, it would be screaming and yelling. Much too noisy to concentrate, and as you know , I do need my rest to regain my magical spells. I solved that problem however, by placing a fresh lotus leaf on its tongue every few days, to dull its senses . ", bragged the summoner , quite proud of his cleverness. The rest of the group , even Halvor could not believe the tortures Petrus had inflicted on this creature, and were filled with abhorrence . Kirgi seemed morbidly fascinated, while Adria just rolled her eyes. The eidolon could not believe her master was being so open with his ..hobbies.. even to his allies.

"Why..did you do such a thing?! ", demanded Sarin, gripping his spear.

"Well , as you know. I believe in efficiency , and hate to see things go to waste. ", Petrus smiled while patting the severed twitching head." After reaching Fortress Grom, I asked the freed women, and the bandit prisoners what happened. Their story were fairly consistent. A frost giant stormed the keep then Zax fought the ogre mage. It surprised me that Zax was almost defeated but received aid from the giant , who seemed to be enraged at the sight of the ogre mage. I assume the giant they were referring to is our dear friend Isula. After the battle they kept the creature's head on a pike to scare any other would be attackers. Normally, I would not care for such a trivial thing, but I did recall some lore about Frost Giants and ogre mages having a fierce blood feud between them. Something, about the ogre's stealing their ice magic, or some other fairy tale nonsense. Regardless of the origin or truth of this legend, I do know that there were constant rumors and stories of Frost Giant raiders. I saw this as a golden opportunity to secure a weapon or bargaining chip against them. Even though I was a simple caravan guard at the time, I sensed that my path would cross our Frost Giant friends soon or later. The Cheliax military academy taught us that the enemy of our enemy is our friend. While not always true, I believe that in this case I am correct. After one or two more caravan runs under Halvor's command, I planned to subjugate this creature to my will, to use as a weapon against the giants. I do not know how successful this plan would have been, but Adria and my companions can attest that I do love to experiment, and I certainly enjoy a challenge."

Sarin gripped his spear tighter, the paladin could not believe the blasphemy coming from the summoner's mouth. From his vision, he knew he was evil a long time ago, but he thought to give him the benefit of the doubt. Even though his world views conflicted with the greater good, the summoner seemed to channel his destructive urges towards constructive projects like opening the pass and battling monsters. The paladin had no idea he was also in the buisness of enslaving and tormenting creatures. The half elf knew the creature Petrus was torturing was probably even more despicable then the summoner, but it was still no excuse for his deeds.

"Oh...don't give me that look. Please explain to me what is the difference in what I'm doing , compared to calling forth outsiders into a magic circle, then breaking their wills .", scoffed Petrus at the disapproving looks he was receiving.

"Nothing is the difference! That's downright evil too! ", exclaimed the paladin. Although the crashing waves dispersed most of their conversation, Nymk signaled them to keep their voices down , lest they alert the nearby giants.

"We can argue my morality later. I do know that currently my friend's family and neighbors have been kidnapped. We can use this ogre to aid us in their rescue. You wanted a diversion, I have given you one. If I guess correctly, nothing will anger the giants more then an ogre mage running amok amongst them. Even if we can't control the creature, I believe its scent should be enough to agitate our dim witted foes.", declared the summoner.

Sarin stared at Halvor, the big knight nodded numbly at Petrus's statement. Sarin relaxed his grip on his weapon and accepted his decision. His mother and mentor was a very dedicated teacher when it came to Linel's code of Honor , however, one of her earliest lessons was that people came before ideologies. He will accept the summoner's aid for now, but will discuss this with him later. "Nymk...can you sneak aboard the ships with the head. Spread its...scent around? ", asked Sarin as he contemplated how best to use this new "weapon" .

Before the swords woman could reply, Kania shifted form back to a human. "No need, to carry its head. I can heal some of its burn wounds, and restore its drugged addled senses. It would be a more effective diversion, if the giants can see their enemy, although briefly.", interjected the Lamia.

"What's to prevent the critter from flying away ? If its like an ogre, they would rather flee , then fight. Especially against three boat loads of giants. ", asked Kirgi scratching his beard.

"Oh...I'm sure it will be very cooperative. I can be very...persuasive. ", the beautiful woman said while flexing her fingers.

Sarin couldn't believe what he was hearing. He turned away and began chanting to himself, " People before ideology. People before ideology. People before ideology. People before ideology. ...".

* * *

><p>"So ..you're the strange people that want to go up north.", drawled the red headed captain as she took a seat amongst them.<p>

Sharliss had a moment of confusion then nodded at Captain Blaze, "I assume that you are the real captain of the Acheron."

Captain Blaze's smiled confirmed the priestess's suspicions. "Yes, you were talking to my first mate earlier. I rarely do buisness directly, however your story intrigues me. "

Zax nodded and considered his options. They were short on funds, but this woman seemed amused by them. The tiefling wondered if he could use this to his advantage. It seemed simple enough, he didn't want Darwen or himself to go north and he especially didn't want to use his money to sponsor the expedition. As he gauged the attractive red headed elf he thought a couple of drinks and some light conversation should get things going his way.

Darwen saw the look on Zax and frowned. She was skilled at controlling her emotions on the battlefield, but her feelings were plainly obvious in the bar. A look of jealousy crossed the bladesinger's face as she saw the tiefling flourishing a bow to the pretty elven captain. The soldier elf felt plain even frumpy compared to the exotic beauty before her.

"If introductions haven't been given yet, then let me begin. That is Isula our warrior, Sharliss our priest, Darwen my bladesinger, and I am Zax, a humble master duelist. ", oozed the tiefling with a leer.

The captain seemed to ignore the rest of the group and focus on Zax, "A master duelist? Oh I am intrigued. From your description of your group, you sound like adventurers. That would explain why you wish to go north. I've ferried several boatloads of knights there in the last few weeks, but that is about all. Many seek us out due to the fact that Grom has officially closed our borders, due to the raid on the capital. Not too many people besides knights want to go to a war zone, but I can understand given your vocation."

Zax concurred with her observation, "That is partially true, I do seek fame and possibly fortune from this expedition, but our priestess here seeks to reunite with her family. Due to our limited funds we are faced with the unenviable decision on who to send with her. We can only afford to send one other person unfortunately."

Darwen and Isula began to protest, but Sharliss shot them a look to silence them. Zax assumed the priestess suspected he was just bargaining with the captain, which was fine with the tiefling. When he inevitably failed, he would use that as his excuse. A few fake apologies to the priestess then he and Darwen would make their way to the sunny coasts of Irendi , while Sharliss would be heading north to reunite with her father and face Koryis knows what sort of dire dangers.

Captain Blaze recognized their plight, "Yes, I understand you are low on funds. I didn't think you would consider breaking up your group just to send only a pair of your companions north. I came to meet you partially because I am interested in exactly who you are. The path north is very dangerous, even with the capabilities of my vessel. Besides giant raiders, sauhgain and other dark terrors abound. The last group I ferried, contained the Silver Arbiter, he proved very capable in defense of my ship..."

"You were wondering if our group were up to the task of guarding your vessel. I can assure you we are. ", stated Darwen haughtily as she gripped Zax's hand. The grey haired elf puffed her chest out showing her confidence to the captain, as well as showing who Zax's partner was .

Zax kept his smile, he wanted to tell the bladesinger she was ruining his plans. He simply gripped her hand tightly and attempted to yank her down. Zax considered himself above average in strength due to his years as a carriage driver, but he was surprised at the squeeze the elf gave him in return.

"Owww! I mean...yes we have diverse ...skills. ", the tiefling stammered, careful not to anger Darwen by understating their abilities.

Captain Blaze smirked at the Bladesinger, while Sharliss and Isula shrank from the table. An invisible gauntlet seemed to be thrown between the two elves, with Zax caught in the middle. Neither the priestess or the small giant wanted to interfere. " I originally came down here on advice of my first mate to determine if we shall provide you a berth on my ship or not. You seem quite confident in your battle prowess, and I would suspect you as great adventurers , however I find it hard to believe that people of such quality would be short on funds. "

"Not everyone fights for solely on money , like a grovelling mercenary. ", returned Darwen . Although Zax was still squirming under her grip, he was taken back by the confidence and spite his consort was showing. It was a stark contrast from her usual quiet and unsure self, and the tiefling found himself attracted to it.

"I agree completely. I was considering to allow all four of you on my vessel for a reduced rate, the knights I am transporting now are going north more out of a reluctant sense of duty , then a willingness to fight . I do not trust their usefulness in battle. I will willingly give you passage for half the price...if you can prove you are as formidable as you claim to be.", responded Blaze.

"A test then? I accept. ", Darwen stated confidently. Sharliss and Isula nodded in approval while Zax slunk in his chair. The tiefling knew this would not end well, he half expected several dozen of the captain's crew to storm the tavern at that moment, but Captain Blaze simply smiled at Darwen's answer.

"Excellent. Denzalow...errr Dark Barkwark still has excellent arena and coliseum facilities. Its simple enough to find them. You bring your champion I'll bring mine. We'll meet in an hour.", replied the Captain glaring at her new rival.

* * *

><p>"Me clown ! Me clown ! ", giggled Iceclaw happily as he rode on the back of his giant war eagle. The eagle's driver nodded in agreement to his large passenger's statement.<p>

"Yes you are Icey. ", commented the Griffon Prince. Stormfeather thought his massive brother looked ridiculous in his civilian outfit , but chuckled happily to himself. The large brute's outfit was an outrageous aristocrat outfit with excessive lace and frills, which of course prompted Iceclaw to proclaim himself as a clown. The griffon prince was himself wearing a much more subdued version of his brother's costume. He liked the dark shady stranger, possibly evil harlequin look, and thought he looked rather dashing in it while riding his griffon.

"These are the stupidest disguises ... Normal people don't dress like this. ", grumbled the lovely Lionsong in her dark leather swashbuckling gear , complete with attention getting black cape and almost hip high hooker boots , while riding her own griffon. The other dozen disguised griffon knights wearing outlandish costumes, also nodded in agreement to her obvious statement. They were too intimidated to question the griffon prince's judgement openly, but backing his sister was another matter.

"Nonsense ! I can assure you these are actual outfits worn by non knights in the souther realms, and I must say you all look very convincing in them. I should know...I took them from some circus performers I slew several months ago. ", laughed Stormfeather manically.

"But...we're riding on Griffons! Who's going to be deceived in thinking we are anything but griffon knights. ", Lionsong said while shaking her head.

"That's not the point. Father said be subtle , so that's what we are doing. If you can think of a better deception while riding griffon knights, I would like to hear it. Even if our mounts were polymorphed into pegasus's or hippogriffs people would discern our identities. Especially consider the prey we are hunting. ", shrugged the Griffon Prince casually. "Besides, you look quite fetching in that leather outfit sister. ", he added with a wink.

Lionsong shuddered at his creepy brother's attention. She knew he was right. It was a casual request by their father, one that had no tactical bearing on their situation. However, he was the Great Hunting Bird, and his word was law. If he wanted them to wear disguises, they would . Even if they used magic to disguise their appearance , she doubt it would fool their prey. They were hunting Elector knights, knights that were given the honor of voting in the Champion Council. Very dangerous and competent foes. Their order had been secretly slaying the weaker elector knights the last few months, but many still evaded their grasp. She was ashamed to admit to such a cowardly tactic, but she would not question her father's orders. The remaining electors that slipped their grasp were either the smartest or the most powerful. She did not doubt that if they survived their attack, they would be resourceful enough to guess their identities as well.

The past few patrols were relatively uneventful. Lionsong doubted there were anymore electors arriving by sea. Despite the seemingly futile mission, the Griffon Princess welcomed the chance to take to the sky again. After her failed mission, Lionsong half suspected her father would kill her. Amazingly he didn't, he had weaved a clever deception claiming that she was successful in securing the abomination , and if he executed her then it would shake the tale's credibility. She knew that a future punishment was in store but being the daughter of such a ruthless Champion had taught her not to dwell too much on it. More pressing to her thoughts was the swords woman that had fought her to a standstill in the Bloodwoods. A thin smile crept on her face as she remembered the challenge that woman posed to her. She knew that they would meet again, and hoped their coming battle would be just as exciting and challenging.

"Oh...I saw that smile...you like that leather outfit comment don't you? ", remarked Stormfeather.

Lionsong ignored her partially insane brother and continued with their uneventful patrol. She wondered who was the craziest one of her family. Her brother full of vile incestuous comments, her plainly idiot brother, her mad power hungry father, or herself, the one that let an obviously helpless opponent escape. She sighed and relented that such was her fate for being born to such a noble and ruthless clan.

"Big boat! Big boat! Big Boat! ", yelled Iceclaw while pointing to the mists below. Despite his oafish appearance, his siblings knew that Iceclaw had almost supernatural senses.

Even with her hawk like eyes, the Griffon Princess could not pierce the misty veil below them. A shake of the head from their diviner however seemed to confirm Iceclaw's statement.

"Three vessels below us, but they are giant vessels. Seems to be some commotion down there. ", elaborated the Griffon cleric as he peered below with his magic enhanced vision.

"Although, I would love to harass them, that's too many for us. That's what? 100 to 120 giants? We're better off leaving them alone . I understand that after father wins the election we will be at war with the giants, but for now its not our problem. ", shrugged Stormfeather.

Lionsong agreed, she hated to support her brother but she had to admit his assessment was correct.

As the unusually dressed knights veered away from the boats, a massive boulder hurtled through the mists and barely missed Iceclaw's War eagle. The massive bird squawked from surprise , but it seemed to infuriate the large knight riding on it.

"Bad giant ! Bad GIANT!", Iceclaw roared. The brutish knight grabbed the eagle's driver and choked him while pointing downwards. The strangled driver accepted his angry passenger's command and the massive war eagle dived into the mists vanishing from sight.

Stormfeather rolled his eyes as his idiot brother vanished . "I guess its our problem now. ", he reluctantly conceded as he ordered his group to follow and support his head strong brother.


	47. Chapter 47

"King Frostreaver will not be pleased. ", rumbled shaman Frostfoot.

"Things will be fine as long as no one blabs their blue lips. ", stated Jarl Darkaxe with a dire stare. His subtle threat was enough to silence the shaman and any other dissenters on his long boat. The giant chieftan was no fool though, he knew the dangerous line he walked.

King Frostreaver the twelfth had given him a mission, to secure slaves and supplies from the resource rich lands to the south. Besides a few missing stragglers (most likely deserters or drunk in the jarl's mind) , the raid went according to plan. The human weaklings were no match for the giant's power and speed. Darkaxe had taken precautions incase the legendary Grommish skyships appeared, but the stories of their flying vessels proved to be vastly overblown. The giant raiders had only encountered a few flying vessels however, but fortunately the vessels seemed to be content to be on the defensive and guard their main city. The Jarl had several easy victories and secured the supplies and workers his leige demanded, but it was overall an unprofitable affair. Which was the reason Lord Darkaxe , Jarl of the Isgiganten tribe had decided to make this unscheduled stop.

"Are you certain the fishmen will show?", asked Frostfoot nervously.

Darkaxe shot another angry stare, which silenced the shaman. He had dealt with the fishmen before, and their past dealings had always been favorable. The Jarl detested the creatures but they provided him with suitable tribute. In exchange , all he had to give them was first choice of the bounty of his raid and some of his slaves. Unlike the powerful giants at his command, the fishmen were ill suited to launch aggressive deep strike raids into the human territories. A few dozen slaves and some rare building supplies to the scaly creatures would turn over a nice profit of sunken treasure , pearls, and rare corals . Valuable resources to fund his own nation building ambitions.

Darkaxe considered his situation , bartering with filthy fishmen, and sighed. How the mighty had fallen. The giants were in retreat. Monsters made of unyielding stone had invaded their land. The tribes had fought them bitterly for the last few years, but the battle was a losing one. Despite the legendary power and ferocity of the frost giants, the seemingly unlimited earthen horde could not be stemmed. After several seasons of bitter stalemates and costly defeats,Prince Frostreaver the thirteenth launched a desperate final attack. Despite initial successes , the raid had failed miserably and the prince was lost. King Frostreaver had no choice but to declare that the giants leave their ancestral homeland of Frosthaven at that point. Not only his son was lost, but the pride of the giant armies as well. The human lands to the south west were deemed the most viable, and plans were quickly drawn to invade them. Most of the other Jarls reluctantly agreed to their exile, but Darkaxe wasn't one of them. Although he didn't fear the humans, he knew that fighting them on their homeland would be a long and bitter battle.

The Isgiganten tribe would be better served by settling on one of the small islands or icebergs that dotted the northern seas. Such ideas was treasonous though, and would bring swift retribution from the King . To escape their wrath Darkaxe required suitable tribute to bribe his eventual persuers . Which was the reason his people were waiting in the middle of the ocean.

The entire operation required an amount of secrecy, an attribute that giants weren't well known for. If the Frostreaver knew of his plans, Darkaxe would be promptly executed before any of his machinations would be put into motion. Darkaxe eyed the nervous shaman and wondered if he could trust him . His life and the life of his tribe depeneded on it. The Jarl promptly decided his shaman would suffer an accident before they reach their main camp.

"RAHHH! ", shouted a giant on one of the other longships.

Darkaxe peered to the other vessel and saw one of his warriors tossing a rock into the misty sky. The Jarl was puzzled at the target of the attack, but it was soon evident when a half dozen griffons lead by a giant roc swooped down from the cloud covered heavens.

"WARDRUMS!", commanded Darkaxe. He wasn't sure if it was a knight patrol or even how many raiders were attacking. He wasn't even sure of the full extent of their foe. Who ever it was, they would pay for crossing his people.

* * *

><p>Sarin stopped at the sound of the drums. It was too soon. Kania had just revived the ogre mage, charmed it and released it. She wasn't able to regenerate his body due to the acid and fire damage it had taken, but had revived the creature's head at least. The severed head could not speak properly but it did manage to fly and even turn invisible at her command. There was no way the stealthy creature could have alerted the giant sentries so quickly. The monster could fly, turn invisible, and was the size of a backpack. On top of all that, the entire area was covered in mists. How could the giants detect the creature so quickly? Possibly magic, but at best it would have just alerted the giants. They wouldn't have started their war drums already. Sarin had some experience with giants, and knew the drums meant a signal for a full scale battle.<p>

The half elf paladin was worried. His small band was capable but there was no way he could battle three longships full of giants. Sarin wasn't sure what was happening due to the obscuring fog around him. He considered signalling a retreat before his operation had even began. It would doom the people he was attempting to rescue, but no would be served if all the rescuers were massacred.

Nymk looked at him expectantly, she was also puzzled by this turn of events. The pair exchanged confused glances and hesitated at their next course of action, sounds of giants shouting and war drums echoing around them . Suddenly the mist shrouded ocean exploded in a fiery roar. Even through the fog, the half elf saw a giant fireball illuminate a longship. Sarin wasn't sure what was going on , but did not hesitate to order his operation to continue. Maybe there was an accident on a longship, perhaps pirates, or most likely some type of dispute between the longship captains. Whatever the reason, he needed a distraction and he would not squander the one that was given to him.

* * *

><p>Stormfeather couldn't help but grin as Iceclaw's war eagle released its deadly payload onto the giant vessel. Although his brother was a certifiable idiot, he was a skilled rider and bombardier. His deadly attack struck the vessel squarely and a roar of fire and screams pierced the air. He loved it when his prey was stricken with fear.<p>

The griffon prince knew this wasn't a part of his father's plans but he reveled in the randomness, the lethal chaos, and the intensity of the violence. The other griffons followed Iceclaw's lead and dropped shards of metal and more alchemist fire onto the giant boat. Screaming giants scrambled from the surprise attack and the griffon prince smiled at their pain. Their initial attack was mostly superficial but it broke his prey's morale and it allowed them to descend upon them to tear into them in melee . Stormfeather laughed at the carnage, but his mirth was quickly erased as a long spear impaled the griffon rider to his right squarely. The projectile struck with lightning speed and force. The knight was slain instantly from the blow and his mount eased from its dive . The winged beast hovered briefly but was quickly struck by another deadly volley of the missiles.

The griffon prince knew the spears didn't originate from their target. He expected slow moving boulders or spears to be chucked at them, not a hail of bolts. He squinted into the mists and then saw it wasn't just one ship they were attacking, but three. He cursed as he realized he misjudged who was the prey.

Stormfeather grimaced as he exchanged glances with his sister. Despite his sisters hatred for him, he trusted her ability to obey orders.

"Lionsong ..Diversion! Everyone else ...Evasive! ", the Griffon prince roared .

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe was a savage warrior, his reputation was founded on victories in battle through brute strength and his direwolf like battle instincts. Because of his simple straightforward virtues, the fact he had a keen tactical mind often went unnoticed. The giant lord noted that the initial griffon fiery attack had slain several of his warriors on one of his vessel, however most of the crew on the vessel were hurt more in pride then mortally. Also, despite the flames the vessel itself was relatively unscathed. Frostfoot's enchantments on the vessel rendered it immune to all but the hottest of fires. Although the mists obscured the exact number of attackers, he only observed a half dozen and they seemed to be concentrating on only one long ship. The Jarl wondered if the fog hid his forces from his foes . It seemed foolish for his attackers to engage him without scouting first. Were they overconfident or simply foolish? Was this all an elaborate feint to force his giants to commit to an attack? Were there more griffons and war eagles hovering in reserve ready to strike?<p>

The giant Jarl considered his options and signaled for the arbalests to be passed out. They only had a dozen of these weapons, but Darkaxe had secured them in case Grommish airships attacked. The Isgiganten tribe had acquired them years ago from gnomish weapon dealers. They were massive crossbow like weapons, that were unwieldy even for giants. Some people refered to them as two handed balistas or even siege crossbows. They were initially acquired to give their tribe an edge in clan feuds. They greatly out ranged the typical boulders the giants employed and once they were trained in its use, their accuracy was terrifying. Later it was discovered that they also excelled in battling flying foes like ice drakes and white dragons. Their only drawback was their extreme load time. Despite this failing, the weapon proved to be a decisive advantage for Darkaxe and his clan.

"Krigare En! Krigare Tva! ", he shouted.

Although the weapons were accurate their foes were fast. Darkaxe yelled for his elite guard to form two groups. Each would fire at the designated foe at his command. Unless a proper target presented itself it allowed him to keep their fire in check, suppressing his opponent's movements. Their first volley mostly missed but one struck a griffon rider squarely in the chest. This brought his mount screeching to a halt. The next volley scored multiple hits on the now slower moving target bringing the half lion half eagle beast down into the frigid ocean.

"LADDA! ", Darkaxe roared at his warriors to reload.

His elite guard obeyed his commands as the Jarl surveyed the battle. The smoke from the inital bombing began obscuring his vision, and he only got glimpses of the battle. He saw the war eagle descend onto the burning vessel and several of the smaller griffons scattering from his elite guard's attacks. Were they retreating or preparing for another attack run? As Darkaxe pondered his foes next actions he caught a wiff of a familiar and hated scent.

"Jättiläinen Velho , Ogre Mage! ", shouted Frostfoot as the shaman also noticed the scent of their most hated foe. Several other giants noticed the scent as well as their battle composure was thrown temporarily into disarray.

It made sense now , the griffon knights were dupes of the frost giant's accursed ancient enemies. The ogre mages had stolen his people's ice totems ages ago, and the frost giants made war against them since that day. The cowardly and deciftul ogres were most likely using the knights as some sort of catspaws in some plot against them.

The attacking griffons took a backseat to their true foe. Darkaxe knew that his enemies were most likely invisible , but he saw that Frostfoot eyes started to glow white . The shaman was using his magic to scan for their crafty prey , and the Jarl decided that he still had his uses. Darkaxe decided to spare Frostfoot's life for now.

As the shaman and the rest of the giants concentrated on uncovering their hidden foe, the unengaged longship suddenly roared with activity. The vessel pounded wardrums and through the mist and smoke, Darkaxe saw it was in pursuit of a pale mocking ogre head. The decapitated creature taunted the giants by unleashing a blast of ice and cold at the pursuing vessel. The attack did not harm the giants or the vessel but it did freeze over several of the oars, causing the ship to travel erratically for awhile before the ice was cleared. The ogre's taunt did not go unanswered though as several boulders struck glancing blows on him. The cowardly beast quickly retreated through the fog with the longship in pursuit.

Darkaxe nodded with approval as his bloodlust began overtaking his keen tactical mind. He didn't care about enemy reserves or feints anymore. He cared not for volleys or suppresion of his foes . His giant rage overtook him, all he wanted was blood now. The anger of his ancestors flowed through him , the ogre mage and his allies would all pay.

"Fire at will! Leave none alive!", he roared at his warriors.

* * *

><p>Lionsong was all smiles as the battle raged around her. She thought this would be another boring patrol assigned by her father , but a battle against three longships of giants proved otherwise. The Griffon princess's heart raced as giant crossbow bolts and boulders were hurtled at her. Despite the sheer volume of incoming projectiles she skillfully dodged them with her mount.<p>

An arbalest bolt narrowly missed her, but she paid no attention to her near death. She watched as her brother Iceclaw and his war eagle swooped towards the burning vessel and tear a giant apart with its talons. Several other giants descended on the frenzied eagle, but Iceclaw leaped from his mount and savagely struck one down with his club.

Lionsong knew her oafish brother was strong , but was even more impressed at his strength when he effortlessly beat down a giant.

She sighed at the spectacle and commanded her own mount to descend towards her brother. With effortless accuracy she judged her mounts speed and height and compared it to the longships. She struck the vessel with a pair of smoking pots , casting the entire battle into more confusion. The attack was obviously meant to cause a diversion, but that suited Lionsong fine. It gave her enough cover and time to participate in her own interests.

The griffon princess wheeled her own mount sharply towards the burning and smoking vessel. At the last moment she leaped off her mount , breaking her fall by rolling onto the ships deck. No one witnessed her graceful dismount due to the smoke and fog, but that mattered little to Lionsong. Her sharp senses sensed a foe, and she savagely lashed at its knee with her mace. The attack was true, and she was rewarded with a scream of pain. She felt the giant tumble to the ground, and she struck again at the monster's now accessible face. The sensation of a cracking skull, the sound of a gurgling giant, and the scent of fresh blood told her that the giant was slain even though her eyes could not confirm it.

Lionsong giggled manically , she didn't have this much fun since she bested that Ethengar wench back in the Bloodwoods.

* * *

><p>Nymk knew time was short. The griffon attack was not part of their plan and the swords woman would have preferred to wait out the attack. Sarin however ordered them to proceed anyways, much to her silent protest. Now was not the time to argue she noted to herself, she would chastised the paladin later for his fool hardy decision.<p>

Not that it surprised her. Sarin despite his sometimes foolish and flippant attitude, always had the "greater good" in his heart. The big half elf would not hesitate to put himself and those close to him in danger if he thought some innocent could be saved. She didn't prescribe to that philosophy herself, but she had to admit it was one of the more endearing qualities of the large half elf.

The swords woman during the confusion of the attack had easily determined which boat was carrying the bulk of the captured townsfolk. It was the one that smelled of fear and hopelessness. The giants had obviously taken little cared of their captives and their odor was clear sign of this. Nymk wasn't repulsed by the scent but recognized it easy. Her own "barbaric" people's infamous salt mines, and her own experiences through the "civilized" lands had given her plenty of opportunity to be familiar with that scent.

Nymk signaled the others that she had discovered their target and proceeded with the plan. She was fortunate that the vessel wasn't the one being attacked by the griffons , but was disappointed that it was the command vessel. The head giant was easily recognizable and she saw the over sized crossbow some were using. Obviously they weren't of giant craft, and she made a note of reporting this to her liege if she survived.

A part of the plan hinged on the summoner able to shape wood into an escape vessel. Despite lacking any significant ability to practice magic, her training gave her a professional's insight into its working. She knew that under normal circumstances it would be quite easy, however the vessels were clearly enchanted and it might resist Petrus's ability to form a raft. If some of the stolen supplies were aboard the ship then it would be easily solved, but most likely the supplies were stored on a separate vessel. This however was a moot point, since the Griffon's attacks provided much debris and wreckage. Though they didn't destroy the target of their attack, the fire and metal shards that struck the longship provided enough wreckage and broken oars for the summoner to work with. It wouldn't be a very seaworthy vessel, but it would be enough to suit their purpose.

The swords woman also noted the Lamia's impressive and subtle ability to weave illusions. Lady Kania used the existing fog and smoke from the Griffon attack and managed to increase it without the giant's noticing. Due to her own mystic background it didn't impair her own vision but it did give her the window of opportunity to secure the prisoners. Halvor and Sarin didn't have her own special senses, but they began chopping the ship's hull at the swords woman's silent instruction. Despite their heavy blows the pair worked strangely in silence.

The captives were frightened and confused , and she half expected then to scream as she rescued them. That was fine, she expected it and was prepared for it. Kirgi and Adria were ready to assist and calm the rescued captives but she was still worried about any frenzied screams they may still emit. She could control her own sound levels easily enough, but her targets and more importantly her surroundings were not as easily gauged. To solve this she had readied custom crafted temporary magical stones that emitted "silence" . Similar to thunderstones, dragon powder, and tangle pots. She used her silence stone to mask the chopping of axes and began ushering the bewildered prisoners onto the impromptu raft .

This was to be a quick strike and extraction , there was no margin for error. Nymk just hoped nothing would go wrong.

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe threw a rock at a shadow shrouded griffon. A heavy splash indicated that he had judged his target incorrectly or more likely that he lacked the range to strike it.<p>

"Gimmie that! ", he snarled as he snatched an arbalest from one of the Krigare Tva. The Jarl fumbled in attempting to ready the weapon, but the winches and latches were too complex for him to operate during the stress filled battle.

"Load that for me! ", he barked as he shoved the arbalest back into the giant's hand.

Darkaxe fumed . It was bad enough that the griffon's were attacking one of his long ships, but having an accursed ogre mage in the area was just too much for him to stay calm. Normally he would have no problem aiding his clansmen from afar with their arbalests and standard rocks, but the fog and smoke of the battle made it impossible to target his enemies. Even worse was the inability to row closer to his comrades. They were just as likely to assist his tribe as they were of accidentally ramming and sinking their ship.

"FROSTFOOT!", he shouted.

"Yes my Jarl?", sniveled the shaman, certain that a slapping or at the very least a verbal dress down would soon occur.

"Can't your feeble magics blow this smoke and fog away? I demand the blood ! Be it from my enemies or perhaps useless shamans ! ", threatened the Jarl.

Frostfoot trembled and chose his next works carefully, "My lord, I attempted to sends strong gusts of winds to blow the mists away but they are a very persistent obstacle. My magic cleared some of it , but a dense cloud of smoke and fog still hangs over us. ", the shaman humbly explained.

"Eh ? I've never heard of such a thing. Fog and smoke doesn't operate like that. I think its more then likely you are making it up to mask your own incompetence ", stated the Jarl as he readied his axe .

" No my lord, I swear it. Perhaps...perhaps its a magical fog! Yes that's it! Magical fog and smoke ! A visual barrier that has been enchanted to resist winds.", blubbered the shaman sensing his impending doom.

"HAH! You will say anything won't you. If it is indeed magical smoke and fog, why don't you dispel it? ", challenged Darkaxe . Regardless of the fate of his comrades in the engaged longship, the Jarl's spirits were boosted at the thought of an execution.

"Please my lord! Mercy. Let me do as you ask. ", pleaded the shaman. Before the Jarl swung his axe , Frostfoot quickly invoked a spell of dispelling. The shaman was ready to do anything to stall his impending death, and to his surprise the smoke and fog around the long ship had lifted.

The giants aboard the ship were stunned that their useless shaman had actually accomplished something in battle. The engaged longship was still shrouded by smoke, but their own vessel was clear of any obscurement. The Jarl was about to order his vessel to pull closer, when he suddenly heard the sounds of humans.

Crying , sobbing, screaming, begging were the typical sounds the human slaves made. The sounds the Jarl heard were similar with a couple of odd cheers thrown in . The big difference was that they did not come from the ship's hold. They came from the side of the ship. More importantly, they sounded like they came outside.

Several other giants heard it as well, and Frostfoot ran to the rail and peered over. Partially to satisfy his curiosity, but mainly to put some distance between the Jarl and himself.

"AAAHHH!", cried the curious giant in pain , as he stumbled back and fell on his ass with blood gushing from his face. Jarl Darkaxe saw that the shaman had a deep slash in his head. Blinding one eye, and slicing his nose apart.

"Get the captives free, I'll hold them off! ", shouted a large human as he climbed aboard the vessel. A creature the Jarl recognized as a dwarf quickly scrambled after him.

The Jarl wasn't sure who they were, but a target had finally presented itself to him. No more hiding in smoke and fog like the griffon knights. Or turning invisible and flying like the Ogre mage. The giant chieftain smiled as he roared a battle cry and lead his giants against his foes.

* * *

><p>Halvor watched with despair as everything fell apart.<p>

Things were getting rapidly out of control and he felt like a mere observer to some grand bard's tale.

Earlier , the half elf easily assumed the mantle of leadership and Halvor admitted to himself he felt a bit jealous. Truth be told, the situation was hopelessly over the big knight's head. Halvor was just glad that Sarin had assumed command of the rag tag rescue team that had followed him. The half elf's plan seemed plausible enough, but there was something about his voice, his demeanor , and his determination that seemed to weld the group together. They all had their parts and roles, and everyone from Adria to Kirgi seemed to do their job.

Halvor would have asserted himself a bit more, but there were more important things then his ego at stake. His village, his people, and his family were prisoners. The big knight calmly accepted the minor spell to levitate him higher up the hull. Then Sarin and himself began chopping into the hull of the longship under the cover of a silence spell. The hull initially resisted their axes, but after a few blows , whatever enchantment protected the ship seemed to be slowly worn down. After a few tense minutes, a large enough hole was made for the prisoners to escape from. Thankfully Nymk's reconnaissance of the vessel proved correct. Halvor would have voiced questions about the maid's true identity , but he had more important things on his mind. Considering the competency of the bodyguard Sarin , Nymk might have been telling the truth for all Halvor was concern.

The prisoners were scared but Halvor's presence quickly calmed down. The knight had expected a mad rush to the hole, but instead the prisoners seemed almost scared to escape. It wasn't until Kirgi boarded the ship and began forcefully grabbing them and tossing them to the awaiting Adria had the rescue mission truly began. It was a strange sight watching the dwarf grab his emaciated friends and neighbors then tossing them to the tall ebon woman, especially in complete silence.

It was a quick operation, but seemed painfully slow to the big knight. He saw Hans the blacksmith, Uls the baker, and even the Uffe the town drunk. The knight watched nervously as the townsfolk were evacuated waiting for signs of his family. To his chagrin Elsif , only his brother Joakim was rescued. There was no signs of Elsif or Mats. Halvor remembered his brother as a cruel warrior with an athletic and wolfish physique. The man before him was a shadow of that memory , thin, broken and bloodied. Halvor noted that at least he struggled out of the hold under his own power. He seemed startled to see the big knight guarding the breach of the ship, and Joakim exchanged a fierce glowering stare with his brother. Halvor grinned that at least some things didn't change.

The illusions placed, the diversion created, and the magical silence all masked the escape attempt and all seemed to be going well. Then the big knight watched with despair as everything fell apart.

For whatever reason, their shaman must have suspected some sort of enchantment in the area. The subtle spells guarding them were all stripped away , and the rescuers all stopped , frozen in panic. They knew that they were discovered and the might of two scores of giants would soon fall upon them.

They held their collective breaths when suddenly an aged giant peered over the side of the board. Halvor and the elder giant's eyes locked for a second. The big knight reacted first by swinging his axe with all his might into the monster's head, striking its eye and nose .

"AAAHHH!", cried the curious giant in pain , as he stumbled back and fell on his ass with blood gushing from his face.

Halvor heard Sarin curse under his breath , and watch the half elf begin levitating to the railing of the ship. The big knight knew he was going to sacrifice himself to give the prisoners a chance to escape. Even with a head start, there was no way the make shift escape raft could withstand the firepower of a boat load of giants and their heavy rocks.

Halvor gripped Sarin's arm and shook his head. "They need your leadership big guy. This is my family my people...my sacrifice . ", he said with steely determination and conviction. Sarin nodded , the big knight's decision pained the paladin but he accepted his heroic sacrifice. The half elf levitated down to the raft and assisted the last of the prisoners to their escape.

Halvor jumped over the railing and shouted to the rest of his companions ,"Get the captives free, I'll hold them off! ".

The big knight saw two dozen angry giants before him and knew his life was about to end. He had no regrets though, his life for that of his people's seemed a fair exchange. He would make sure he would not sell it cheap though. As he gripped his axe and prepared for his destiny he once again spied the handkerchief tied to it. He shook his head and conceded he had at least one regret.

"Hey Hal...you're not thinking of fighting a boat load of giants without me were you?", chuckled a familiar gruff dwarven voice.

Halvor permitted himself a smirk ,"Wouldn't think of it. ", he grinned.

* * *

><p>Stormfeather shook his head, as his remaining knights fled the battle. Shame filled the Griffon Prince as his band retreated. He had fought skirmishes with giants before, but that was against raiding parties. They were relatively easy fights . Stay out of their boulder range, drop fire on them, watch the survivors scatter, then prey on the dispersed giants piecemeal. This was different. The giant's were protected from a portion of their fire, had access to magic, were relatively organized and disciplined, and most importantly were employing some sort of advanced siege crossbow.<p>

What was more humbling was that the giants seemed to be toying with them. One vessel sailed away pursuing what appeared to be a small cloud. The other was engulfed in some sort of cloud. The griffon prince wondered if the giants were under some sort of attack at the same time Iceclaw dove into them. It made his pride hurt even more as he considered the possibility. If all three ships fought against him, he was sure that all of his command would have been lost.

He was fairly certain he would have survived though. He always positioned himself in a strategic position during a battle. If victory looked certain he would swoop in and strike the enemy where they were weakest. Claim it was a clever executed commitment of his reserves to shatter the enemies ranks, then claim all the credit for the victory. If the battle went against him, then he would be in a prime position to retreat. He would then claim his troops for failure to execute his flawless plan, and he had to strategically withdraw to prevent the retreat from becoming a route. It was all text book lessons from the war manual of the Griffon, and Stormfeather was a peerless student.

Of course, there would be repercussions. His patrol would have to be cut short and more importantly he had to spin some sort of story of how he lost both his siblings. He saw his idiotic overzealous brother slay three of the giants before being overwhelmed by the brutes. Normally Iceclaw's berserker fury would open a breach for the rest of his forces to exploit, but the giants quickly closed ranks and did not give the Griffon forces an opportunity. Several knight's including his sister attempted to reinforce his brother but they were overwhelmed as well. They slew several other of the raiders but there were just too many of them. His foes fought more like regular infantry then the skirmishers that Stormfeather was accustomed to facing.

The Griffon Prince would miss his sister. He would miss how she would squirm at his attentions as he stared at her, as he mentally disrobed her armor. He would miss her obvious revulsion of his advances . Miss her claims he was a "pervert ", "deviant", and his personal favorite "creepy little asshole ". Stormfeather admitted his strange attentions to his sister was partially to throw off her cool countenance, and partially from a warped desire he secretly harbored. It didn't bother him that he knew that society frowned upon such an affair , but he rationalized that he was after all partially insane. One just needed to look at his father for proof.

Speaking of his father, the Griffon Prince knew he would have to think of an excuse before he returned. It would be easy to claim it was all Iceclaw's fault, but he knew it was his responsibility to keep him under control. At least that's what his insane father would claim. There was no way anyone could control that buffoon, but his father would insist he take the blame for it. He knew he would be severely punished, but on the other hand he was also his father's last surviving heir. That would mean at least he would be spared execution at least.

The Griffon Prince took little solace in that fact. He knew his punishment would still be great. Weeks in an oubliette till he was needed, having the royal torturers break all his bones and only healing them after he was driven mad with pain, restraining him then fitting him with a ring of regeneration and releasing rats or some other vermin on his helpless body. All these he and his siblings had suffered in the past and he shuddered at what awaited him as the Griffon prince fled the battle.

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe roared a challenge at the two boarders. He wasn't sure how many more would be attacking his vessel, but knew they would all pay for this invasion. Ever since his tribe was displaced, these three long ships were the closest thing he had to a home , and those who entered his home would pay a heavy price indeed.<p>

Before more of the vermin could crawl upon his longship, the giant chief hefted his axe skywards and charged the pair. A single massive sweep of his axe should be enough to clear these worms from his deck. It would probably be wiser to capture these creatures and add them to his captives to sell to the sahaugin but satiating his bloodlust was more important at the moment.

To his surprise the pair split up and dispersed from his attack. His axe struck a glancing blow to the dwarf, but the accursed creature's metal hide deflected most of the strike. The Jarl heard the pair muttering something to themselves, but he ignored their pathetic bleating as he concentrated his attacks on the dwarf. The dwarf , like all his kind, was elusive and proved hard to engage. No sooner had he maneuvered near him, did the runty creature scampered underneath his legs. The diminutive rodent seemed oblivious to the previous blow he suffered and slashed at Darkaxe's legs with a pair of smaller blades. The giant attempted to kick the beast, but it again proved too nimble and easily ducked and rolled from the chieftain's foot.

As Darkaxe spun and twisted to track the scrambling dwarf, he noticed the larger human striking the shaman Frostfoot in the back with his axe. The Jarl wasn't particularly attached to the nosy shaman, but he knew he would be difficult to replace. Several of his Krigare stowed their crossbows and drew massive swords and clubs to engage the human.

The dwarf struck Darkaxe again, and the chieftain soon found his legs covered in gashes and cuts. The blows were minor though, and the giant hardly felt them, but he knew that he would lose face in front of his men if this charade continued. He took a step back, to put the dwarf back into axe range but the persistent creature continue to press his attack and followed up negating his step. The Jarl considered this determined creature for a second then tried to motion with his left foot stepping back and then quickly switching to his right. This little dance would look ridiculous under normal circumstances but surprisingly it succeeded in fooling the dwarf. The giant grinned as the runty creature found itself pursing shadows and Darkaxe then swung his axe with all his might down on the creature.

It was over kill for sure, but the chieftain was through wasting time with this annoyance. The dwarf cried in pain as the weapon crashed down on him. The Jarl roared in laughter as his opponent disappeared in a cloud of blood, planks, and wreckage.

The Jarl's bloodlust was satisfied but as his head cleared he suddenly realized his mistake. In his rage, he not only obliterated his enemy but also destroyed a large portion of the deck of his long ship. He peered into the hold and stared at the wreckage he caused. He then realized that it had been a trick, a distraction. His hold was empty!

He turned to face the knight, but there was no sign of him. The only trace that he was there was that his shaman was slain and two of his guards were on the ground clutching their wounds.

Jarl Darkaxe roared again in frenzied frustration, his bloodlust once again filling him, however there were no more foes for him to unleash his wrath upon.

"Sir? Sir? What next?", asked a particularly young and foolish giant oarsmen.

The chieftan reacted with pure fury, without thought or mercy. He brought his ruinous axe down upon the giant and cut him down with one blow.

The crew was stunned by the carnage but knew better then to disturb their leader. Silence fell on the long ship, punctuated by a small splash. Normally someone would investigate but the crew knew that they were all better off if they waited perfectly still.

Darkaxe seethed in anger, but the lack of enemies and provocation eventually saw his wrath dissipate. The giant chief took a moment to compose himself and scanned the battle field. Their foes had fled, most likely with their captives. His first long ship seemed to have triumphed over the griffon , and the second seemed to be returning from their hunt of the ogre mage. The Jarl took a deep breath, no sign of his murderous berserker rage remained. " Take count of our casualties and prepare a list of the captives and supplies we lost. ", he commanded.

* * *

><p>Halvor's lungs were bursting, but the big knight knew if he surfaced he would be dead. He battled the giants as Kirgi engaged their chieftain, hoping to screen the others till they were in the clear. The giants he faced were unlike the ones he battled earlier. They were seasoned warriors and were good at using their size to their advantage. He was unable to slay any but he did manage to keep them at bay with long controlled swings with his axe. As the battle wore on, he heard Adria's shrill whistle that would have been mistaken for the wind had not the big knight encountered the noise before. It was the signal to retreat. Kirgi saw this and the stalwart dwarf grinned a crazy smile. He braced his axes ready for a strike and stepped out of position into the giant's weapon arc. The giant chieftain struck Kirgi with a devastating blow and drove the crazy dwarf into the hold like a spike being struck by a hammer. Halvor wasn't sure what happening but dove into the water during the confusion the Jarl had wrought.<p>

Halvor swam and sunk into the frigid waves. His icy protections had been dispelled along with the other enchantments. He knew he only had a few minutes before he froze to death, and even less before he drowned.

The knight knew he was rapidly fading and clutched the only thing that mattered to him before the darkness took him.

* * *

><p>Halvor awoke from a sharp blow to the head. Water sputtered out of his lungs , as he found himself drifting in the frigid waters of the ocean. He appeared to be partially draped on a smooth greyish dolphin and curiously he noticed he wasn't freezing.<p>

"Ahh...rise and shine hero boy. We're still not out of danger yet.", grinned Kirgi with a few less teeth then Halvor remembered.

"What...how...where?", was all Halvor could sputter.

"Listen. I took a shot for the team, and almost died cuz of it. But no stinkin giant is gonna keel ol Kirgi with just one shot. Afterwards I limped into the water and grabbed you. I wouldn't have even spotted you but luckily for you , you were still gripping that axe like a miser and his gold. That thing is easier to spot then you in the dark depths of the water I'll say that. I weaved some minor ranger magics over you to protect you from the cold, and dragged your big ass out of there, before you sunk into the depths. ", the dwarf explained proudly.

Halvor weakly nodded. "Thank...you..", he said still chattering despite the dwarf's minor protections.

"Don't thank me...thank Flippy here.", he said motioning to the dolphin which made a proud clicking sound in response.

"Ahh...who's a good Dolphin...who's daddy's favorite dolphin.", replied the dwarf in an uncharacteristically friendly tone to one of his people's most bitter racial enemies. "Anyway's let's get out of here before the blood dripping off my back attracts sharks or something. ", snorted the Dwarf.

Halvor nodded, and stared at his axe that saved him. Or more correctly at the handkerchief tied to the axe he noted.


	48. Chapter 48

Darwen dodged the scrag nimbly to the left, her rapier striking the monster several times before the elf danced out of its range. Although the sea troll roared in pain, its wounds were slowly closing in on themselves. The seemingly hopeless battle did not seem to weigh on the elf though, her keen combat mind saw that the scrag was only in ankle high water and its full regenerative powers were not at its disposable. She was sure she could wound the savage creature faster then it could heal. It appeared large and lumbering but it was deceptively fast. Regardless of its speed, the elf was much faster.

The elven bladesinger only had to worry about three things, the creature's powerful jaws and claws, any loose footing hidden by the light murky water, and that skank of an elf captain slithering up to Zax. So far she had evaded most of the monster's attacks fairly easily, the one time its claws struck a glancing blow ,her ancestral elven chain easily turned aside the attack. The flooring was another matter though, but Darwen's sharp memory carefully mapped out the terrain based on where's she had stepped and where her opponent had stomped. To the elf the immediate battle was already won. A quick glance upwards however , sent her blood boiling and her teeth gnashing.

* * *

><p>Zax watched with all the nervous excitement of a coliseum match where he had his week's payroll down on the underdog. He was situated high above the rest of the crowds with Captain Blaze in the arena pit's equivalent of "box" seats. Their box was decorated in dark marble carved with frowning demons and tortured heads, and the tiefling guessed it once seated dark elf nobles. Despite its fearsome appearance, the tiefling was pleasantly surprised at their comfort . Soft cushions, delectable finger foods, and fine spirits were provided for him. Sharliss and Isula on the other hand were situated with the rest of the cheering crowd around the ring of the dueling pit. Zax thought the priestess would be repulsed by the duel, but she seemed whole wholeheartedly into it. She even brought out an over sized giant leaf finger and waved it in support of her grey haired friend.<p>

Even though Darwen seemed to have the fight against Captain Blaze's "Champion" well in hand, the tiefling cringed every time its long sharp claws raked against the elf's armor, or when its gnashing maw lunged at the elf's head. Darwen to her credit , held her own and seemed to be dominating the battle, occasionally she would even glance upwards and flashed a smile at the tiefling.

"Your student is quite good. ", commented Blaze as she inched closer to the tiefling. The red headed elf beamed Zax a flirty smile . Normally he would have been quite appreciative and reciprocated the playful gesture from the pretty and charming Captain, but the tiefling was too worried and engrossed with the battle. More importantly he was too worried for "his student". Zax had fully expected to be the one to have fought in the dueling pit when initially challenged, but was both relieved and terrified when Darwen volunteered in his place. She claimed that as Zax's student she craved to prove herself to her master. This of course drew Blaze's interest and attention, and she easily agreed to the match.

The tiefling knew Darwen was much more capable then himself, but he was still worried about her well being. It was his dearest Darwen after all. The tiefling admitted to himself he had grown rather attached to the odd elf. She was hard to judge. She seemed very down to earth and honest, but seemed willing to help propagate Zax's ill deserved reputation as a cunning and dangerous hero. Also, Zax felt strangely attracted to the grey haired elven beauty and seemingly she seemed attracted to him. Not that the suave tiefling had any problem finding beautiful women after his meteoric rise in fame , but they were mostly enticed and in awe of his legend not the actual man. Darwen of course saw through that veil and still seemed enamored with the tiefling . To Zax's surprise he found her much more desirable because of it.

"I said your student is quite good. ", repeated the Captain who gave Zax a curious look. Zax snapped back to attention and noticed the attractive red headed elf appeared to be studying him intently rather then focusing on the fight.

Zax nodded in agreement. "I trained her quite rigorously. Of course she has only a fraction of my vast skills, but it would dishonor me greatly as a teacher if she fell in battle. ", boasted the tiefling proudly.

Blaze chuckled lightly. "Yes.. I've heard what happened the last time your student disappointed you. ", she stated while observing the reaction of the tiefling.

Zax's expression was impassive, not because he was acting cool under the subtle interrogation, but because he had no idea what the red headed elf was talking about. Finally after a long blank stare, the tiefling wondered if the captain was somehow spying magically on their group and caught his last performance in bed with Darwen. The tiefling was ashamed to admit , but he was the one that did not meet the elf's standards , but it wasn't his fault. He was drinking too much that night and of course couldn't be expected to perform to his normal high women satisfying standards. Of course Darwen apologized instead and claimed it was her fault for not being appealing enough. This was of course nonsense since Zax couldn't recall a more desirable woman in his life. The whole episode was another reason that she was so endearing to him. Zax wondered how Blaze knew that. Did she have some sort of crystal scrying ball, or maybe peeping tom imps. Most likely she used spy parrots, captains were famed for their pet birds. Perhaps that no good Isula was watching them and spreaded the news of his failure to everyone. Even though the miniature giant acted all cold and impassive , Zax was sure she was out to get him sometimes.

"I assure you , that whatever you heard were all lies! ", stammered Zax in genuine outrage.

"Oh...you are too modest. The way you handled that Griffon Knight has been all the talk for the last while now. It's even reached the ears of the dueling circles of Bark Wark, and even Denzalow. ", she smiled.

Zax noted she referred to DarkBark Wark by its old name, with a familiar longing in her voice. More importantly, Zax tried to remember when he was in bed with a griffon knight. Was he really drunk that night? In his journeys, he met very few women knights. Was he so wasted he went to bed with a man? Was Darwen there? Did he do a three way with this "Griffon knight" and Darwen?

"It seemed , even though you were just toying with Sir Albin you still defeated him. After the battle, he personally insulted you, and you struck him down with one blow. No that is incorrect, you did not just strike him down, but you devoured his soul . That is quite the terrifying feat. ", stated the elf cautiously but still in admiration .

Zax blinked dumbly, then it dawned on him. She wasn't referring to his misadventures or short comings in bed, she was referring to Darwen's defeat at the hands of Sir Cheatface, and his own subsequent challenge to defend her. Zax breathed a sigh of relief and laughed audibly at himself.

The casual laughter of the tiefling at the mention of draining the soul of Sir Albin seemed to put Captain Blaze on the defensive. The elf quickly composed herself though , and pressed with her questions. "I know who you are Sir Zax, and have an idea who your companions are. Mainly the pretty young noblewoman . I congratulate you on seizing the opportunity that presented itself during the new Emperor's coronation and firmly securing his trust and your commission as a Royal Adventurer. However , I am curious why you are here. From my sources, I was told that the young lady there was to remain at the capital till the affair with the giant's was over. Not a surprising order, considering her personal relationship to the Warmaster. She is a strong political pawn to keep under one's protection. "

Zax was about to reply , but a gasp from the crowd interrupted him. He peered into the dueling pit and noticed to his dismay that Darwen had slipped and stumbled in the water. The troll rushed the elf, but the grey haired soldier barely managed to regain her balance and slip away from the charge. Although she evaded most of the attack, the monster still caught her heavily on the side . Zax expected her to be knocked into the water, but the elf spun with the blow and miraculously remained standing. Visibly shaken, but still ready and back on firmer footing.

"Whew...I mean yes. I was indeed told that the Lady Sharliss was to remain in Grom City by the Emperor himself. ", repeated the tiefling. Currently he was too concern about the battle to be worried about spinning a convincing tale .

Blaze smiled."I see. Let me guess. A man of your fame and talents can see the current instability of world events unfolding around him. It doesn't take a soothsayer to realize that Grom will be ripped apart in a generation at most. Not only the giants , but our "allies " the Great Knightly Orders are threatening the stability of the north. To the south our long time enemies the gnomes are said to be preparing to wage war once again. And to keep this all together, we have a politically ambitious general, a new untested emperor and inherent military instability in Central Grom. I can only guess a man of your skill sees the prestigious post of royal adventurer as a mere stepping stone. You seek to curry favor with the Warmaster and indirectly with the Great Orders . A brave and dangerous line . Your racial heritage provides you with a unique opportunity to...bond with the Warmaster's daugher , but it also opens up a whole nest of potentially dangerous problems with the rest of the knights. ", commented the elf.

Zax blinked again. Was she for real? She clearly over thought this, and suspected him as some cunning political mastermind. All he was doing was helping a friend to reunite with her father. He wasn't out to gather alliances to secure his place in the new world order if Grom breaks up. The pretty red headed elf was clearly making him out to be something he wasn't. Were all elves like this? Even though Darwen engaged in something of hero worship to him , at least she knew he wasn't really one. Did he have some form of hypnotic effect on elves? Thoughts of becoming a salesman to the elven villages quickly skittered through Zax's mind, but he quickly dispelled them when he recalled how most of them were poverty prone.

"That is an interesting theory . ", commented Zax for lack of a better response as he gauged the captain. He guessed they weren't just talking but engaged in some sort of subtle negotiation. He wasn't sure what they were dealing with , but he figured he had the advantage. He guessed he was socially higher up the ladder then this elf, and she possibly wanted to benefit from his station. All he wanted was to send Sharliss and Isula safely up north, while somehow weaseling Darwen and himself to stay in the south. He wasn't sure what type of concessions he could give out as a Junior Royal Adventurer, but he was sure he could swing a deal of some sort to make all parties happy.

The captain briefly turned away from Zax and seemed to focus on the battle below them. Darwen had regained the upper hand , and was methodically destroying Blaze's "champion". Although the crowds seemed to be cheering louder and louder, the captain quickly lost interest. She gave a signal to one of her crew, and they dropped a white towel to indicate submission in the duel. The crowd roared with approval and showered the victorious grey haired elf with praise. Darwen for her part lost her stoic composure and seemed genuinely taken back by her win. It was her first victory as a duelist after all. As she was surrounded by her supporters, she glanced up again and flashed another stern smile at her master.

"A well won battle by your student. ", applauded Blaze as she inched again closer to the tiefling.

Zax knew he should be down in the pit cheering and celebrating with Darwen but he remained impassive before the captain. "This fight wasn't about if we were worthy to sail with you was it. Let's hear whatever you have to propose. I'm a busy man. ", he said with his shrewdest haggler's voice.

The captain nodded, "Indeed. I've heard rumors that most of your deeds and accomplishments were the result of blind luck . I of course didn't believe that such fame and glory could be won by a bumbling fool, and only a deadly individual such as yourself could attain them. From the skill of your student its clear to me that your reputation is not undeserved."

"Interesting. Why test Darwen and not myself. Why use a champion and not test my power personally. I'm always eager to prove myself in battle. ", lied Zax with familiar ease.

The captain laughed with a hint of nervousness in her voice. "Hah! Please, I am not stupid to engage in battle with a man that's rumor to be able to drain souls. Also my crew is much too valuable to me to throw away carelessly. A test against the weakest member of your party is sufficient.", smiled Blaze.

"I do not like games, or tests. Tell me what you want.", glowered Zax with the practiced sneer of a carriage driver who wasn't given a tip. The tiefling wasn't sure if he could finagle passage for Sharliss at this point , but he was caught up in his false hero act again. A hero wouldn't take this from a lowly barge captain, and he attempted to make himself menacing . If he couldn't secure passage for the priestess, at least he would keep his reputation intact.

Captain Blaze was taken back by the tiefling's implied hostility . She took a deep breath and composed herself before confronting Zax. " All my life, I've made my living as a smuggler, an adventurer, a freebooter, and currently as a privateer for Grom. Although my endeavors have been...let's say ...profitable, I desire more in life. As I stated before, I see that change is coming to Grom. Various crises are looming in the horizon that threatened to tear the Republic...or Empire if you prefer...apart. The smart move is to sail with my fortune to Thyatis , Darokin, or even the island paradise of Irendi, but I sense great opportunity here. I just need a patron to attach myself to in the coming storm. Someone who I believe that will rise to the top from the ensuing chaos. Whatever battles you fight, alliances you make, or perhaps political bargains you strike...you will need a strong faction to support you. I assume you've already have the frameworks of one, but I humbly asked to be included in your network. One does not simply go against the direct wishes of his Emperor without a shadowy ulterior motive in mind. Whatever it is, I suspect there is much room for political ...and economic advancement. Perhaps even the title of Sea lord , if I am so lucky. I wish to place myself , my crew, and my vessel the Acheron at your service to share in any future rewards. ", whispered the captain cautiously , careful of any eavesdroppers.

Zax was taken back . This was unexpected. He was expecting the typical negotiations where he had to haggle, and whine to book passage. He didn't expect the pretty elf captain to pledge fealty to him. Whatever the case, she was clearly misinformed by his motives, and he considered dispelling them before further confusion was perpetuated. However , if she did swear fealty to him, that would mean free passage for Sharliss. He was sure , he can easily convince the captain to send the priestess and Isula up north , while making up some excuse for Darwen and himself to stay south. It was based on a lie, but all in all it was a win win situation. All Zax needed was a believable enough hero drivel to seal the deal with the misinformed Blaze.

"I accept your terms, however I must caution you. I walk a risky path, I can not guarantee my eventual success or protect you from ruin if I fail. ", cautioned Zax cryptically as he extended a hand. He was pleased as he made a caveat if the captain discovered his ruse, and he made himself sound dangerous and cool at the same time. Chicks dig dangerous and cool guys he reasoned .

Captain Blaze shook Zax's hand with a laugh. " Risk is something I'm accustomed too. Do you think I would be a privateer in a former drow city in the underdark if I wasn't."

* * *

><p>Attacking three longships full of giants was indeed risky, if not down right foolish.<p>

Lionsong should have been afraid. She was aboard an enemy vessel, abandoned by her fawning brother, and surrounded by Frost giant raiders. Her older brutish brother Iceclaw put a good fight but was finally defeated by weight of numbers . Strangely he wasn't killed outright and was rotting in the longship's hold. Lionsong reasoned he was to be questioned later. A normal person would be terrified at her situation but the Griffon Princess waited impassively.

She slipped out of sight during the chaos of battle, and despite her size she easily hid amongst the giant's plundered supplies for the last few days. The mists shrouded the longship and she knew they were too far out at sea to swim back. Even if she wasn't picked off by sharks or other sea monsters, she conceded that her impressive endurance and swimming skills would not be able to brave the icy ocean. She reasoned that rescuing her brother was currently impossible. She knew the idiot Iceclaw incapable of divulging any of the Griffon's secrets, but she didn't want to see him tortured or anything like that. She planned to wait hidden till they approach shore, slay or rescue her brother, depending on the circumstances , and then attempt an escape to land.

As she plotted her retreat, a low growl froze her in place. A large winter wolf prowled and sniffed the air in the hold. Lionsong knew that frost giants typically kept such creatures as guard animals and pets, but had not seen any on board up to this point. She assumed the ship was too cramped for a full hunting pack, and guessed it must have been the ship's mascot . She had fought such creatures before in the northern wilds and was confident she could defeat the specimen before her. However such a battle would bring attention to herself and her location.

The winter wolf sniffed the air again , and its ears perked up. It growled again and Lionsong knew she was discovered. The Griffon Princess waited patiently for her foe to come closer. A quick battle would provide her with a little more time out of her predicament, a long noisy one would spell her doom.

As the wolf stalked closer, suddenly a strange sound filled the air. The guard animal gave a low whine and immediately turned and sprinted back to the upper decks. Lionsong immediately recognized it as a horn of some sort, but could not guess its origin. As a Knight of the Griffon , she knew most war horns and drums , but could not recognize it. It was a low and rumbling sound, one that could be heard for miles. Muted roars and activity from the giants above could be heard even in the hold where she was hidden.

Were they under attack ? It was definitely a possibility, though it seemed improbable . Who would be foolish enough to attack three long ships of giants, she thought with a smile.

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe grimaced nervously as the massive sea turtles approached his vessel while escorting a coral and bone barge. The giant lord was not afraid of the saughain in a fair fight, but he had to admit they and their war beasts had him at a disadvantage right now. The massive creatures could easily ram and capsize his mighty vessel if they wanted to. Fortunately for Darkaxe, they were not seeking battle with the fishmen today.<p>

The creatures approached his vessel and hopped aboard effortlessly without asking permission . This angered the Jarl , and he was on the verge of throwing a boulder and crushing one of his glistening guests. As his temper began to flare deep within him, a taller fishman decorated in elaborate shells and fish teeth produced a large sack and began emptying its contents.

"Gold...pearls...gems...we have more...do you have the slaves ...and supplies we seek. ", the creature gurgled with a sound akin to a man talking while sucking in air.

Darkaxe's anger dissipated as he saw the treasures before him. "We have the supplies you asked for, but several of our prisoners escaped. We will not deal with slaves.", grumbled the Jarl . He wasn't sure how they escaped, but guessed the Griffon attack was a diversion of some sort. Had he captured an important prisoner? Was the raid just a product of the strange concept of human chivalry he heard so much about? Or was the entire skirmish just some unfortunate random encounter?

The fishman's skin turned white and although Darkaxe was not skilled at reading the body language of the creature, he could tell it was mad. The creature shook and began to make a noise akin to gurgling and choking at the same time. "NO!...we want slaves! ...strong slaves! ...supplies are extra...we want slaves ...sacrifices! ", the creature demanded.

The Jarl sighed and weighed his options . If a battle started right now, he was sure he would be victorious. He had sent one of his vessels to pursue the escape slaves, his strength had also been reduced by the raid and the subsequent skirmish with the griffon knights. Regardless of his casualties , he guessed he would lose a ship or two but had doubts he could recover the fishmen's treasure. Even his best swimmers would not be able to recover any of the sunken loot. It was not a profitable situation. Since the bulk of the prisoners escaped, he would have very few captives to take back to the king if he honored his agreement . If he surrendered the agreed upon slaves to the fishmen , King Frostreaver would not be happy. He could use the sahaugin or even the griffon raid as an excuse, but failure would not be veiwed favorably in his liege's eyes.

"Okay...okay...you win. I will let you have first pick of my prisoners.", conceded the giant.

The fishman's skins returned to its normal greenish shine, as it hissed happily.

Despite their initial confrontation , the Jarl's mood improved considerably after he was paid. Several sacks and chests worth of sunken treasure were exchanged for a relatively small amount of supplies, and roughly two thirds of his slaves. He guessed King Frostreaver would be furious at the amount of prisoners he captured, but the thought of his new found wealth would lessen his liege's wrath. Also he could always use the ship he sent in pursuit as a scapegoat. If they succeeded all would be well, if they failed then he had a perfect excuse for his lack of success. It was a costly sacrifice, but soon the Isgiganten clan would have enough resources to leave the exiled Frost Giant nation. Darkaxe could see that the giant empire was a sinking ship, and was all too glad to leave it, before he was pulled down with it.

* * *

><p>Sharliss peered at Zax suspiciously. She was happy that he had convinced the captain to take their group aboard, but had reservations of the conditions. "Let me get this straight. The captain has agreed to take all four of us, and the pony to Narwhal hold...for free...but she insists that you and Darwen have to accompany her back south?", asked the half fiend priestess again.<p>

Darwen of course hated the plan. One of the reasons she wanted to assist Sharliss was to go north and help her people. This new twist defeated everything she had hoped for. Darwen remained quiet, but everyone knew she was livid . Everyone except Zax of course.

"Once again you are correct. Its simple really, Blaze is afraid for her vessel and has hired myself to guard the boat for her. In exchange , we get passage north for free. However , since our nervous Captain Blaze is uncertain if she able to return safely back south, she requires a guard to escort her.", explained Zax with a smile.

Darwen shuddered in anger as Zax refereed to the captain so casually on a first name basis, but still kept quiet.

"Ok, I can understand why she want's your protection, you are a famed hero after all, but why take Darwen too? She really wants to see her people", puzzled Sharliss.

The real reason was that Zax wanted his fair elf companion at his side. The though of her pleasuring him on their long voyage north and then back south appealed to him. Since their vessel was a submersible one, he reasoned there would be very little interruptions and more importantly very few instances where his "supposed" martial prowess would be called into action. Everything was according to Zax's plan, but he had to come up with something to placate the nosy Sharliss.

"Errr...ummm...wait..you all saw how Darwen defeated that sea troll in the pit. The captain watched her fight intently . She greatly impressed Blaze with her skill. It's no wonder she insisted that she was needed as a guard as well. ", explained Zax with obvious pride in his quick thinking explanation.

"Once again ...the mighty hero runs.", noted Isula quietly.

"I'm surprised she saw the fight at all...she seemed preoccupied. ", whispered Darwen with scorn in her eyes.

"Eh ...what was that? ", asked Zax as he heard only fragments of the grey haired elf and the miniature giant's comments.

Sharliss shrugged. She didn't expect Zax and Darwen to accompany her all the way to Narwhal keep . The thought of the brave hero Zax and his dependable and competent student was just too much to hope for. Arriving to the Great Council in time seemed like an unlikely prospect a few days ago, but now it seemed a very real and probable outcome. It was much more then she expected, and the priestess reasoned not everything could go her way.

"I..I guess you are right. I was half expecting you to be at my side when we reach the council. If I was the Captain, I would certainly want the famous Zax protecting my ship . ", admitted Sharliss with a sigh.

"Deep down in my heart, you know I wish to help you in your endeavors, but at last...my reputation and charms are too much for the Captain. ", boasted Zax. "I can't blame her though, what woman could resist me when I unleash my heroic magnetism."

Sharliss nodded.

Isula coughed .

Darwen glared.

The stateroom assigned to Zax were very comfortable and beyond the tiefling's expectations.

Despite this, Zax found himself sleeping alone that night.


	49. Chapter 49

Syr stretched seductively on the piles of furs. The calculating dark haired half elf knew she wasn't the prettiest girl around, but she felt like a gleaming diamond before the chiseled young knight before her. She was too thin, her breasts were too small, her face was too hard. None of that seemed to matter while she was in the presence of her young hero.

"I have to report back to my patrol.", said the young man as he strapped on his armor. Syr smiled at him hungrily as he dutifully dressed himself. She guessed the youthful human knight was 15 maybe 16 years old. Making him similar in age both physiologically and chronologically to the twenty one year old half elf ranger mage.

"Arl...thank you for last night. ", commented the glowing young girl nervously to her handsome suitor.

The warrior stopped and paused. Syr half expected her illusion to end at that moment. She could well imagine the muscular boy laughing in her face and chalking her up as simply another conquest. Despite her fears, the young man smiled nervously back.

"No my lady...Thank you. I..I...half expect us to be all dead soon. King Huk's forces are poised to strike. I'm ashamed to admit but you were my first. You made me a man last night. If I shall die, then at least I can enter Rawk's halls able to hold my head up high.", the boy said with a nod.

The half elf was flattered by his revelation and didn't want to seem dismissive of him. However, his standard of manhood seemed silly and although she tried to suppress it , Syr giggled at the foolish notion. "Don't be silly Arl! A man's worth isn't judged by the women he's bedded. It's by the fire in his heart, the steel in his fist, the fear in his foes.", the half elf recited.

Arl paused and considered her words, "I've heard that before. The battle chant of the Lion. Am I correct? ", noted the boy with a glint of pride in his eyes.

Syr nodded,"Yes..my mother taught me that. Don't bother asking how she knows that, I don't like talking about her. ", sniffed the thin half elf.

"Perhaps another time then. On a more serious note, Syr...I want you to take shelter in Fort Danilus tonight. As I said earlier , I suspect that the hordes of King Huk will attack soon. That is the safest spot in our defenses. I..I want you to be protected, survive . You can even bring your brother. ", pleaded the young knight.

Syr shook her head. " I've already looked into it. The fort is too small to hold everyone. Hey the last thing I want to do is die, but we have refugees and camp followers to get to safety. The mercenaries I work for were hired mainly for secondary combat roles. The heavy fighting is left for you front line types. Don't worry , we'll be safe. ", commented the half elf quietly. She knew her chances were slim, but she didn't want the handsome Arl to worry.

Arl sighed ,"This whole task force was poorly planned to begin with. Everyone thought it would be an easy mission to scour the Shattered mountains of King Huk and his allies, especially with several companies of the Dwarven Hearth Guard, legions from the First Army, a contingent of Knights of the North, and all the mercenaries that Grom could hire. Too bad our ranks are divided, we don't have a clear leader and we seriously underestimated the numbers and tenacity of our foes. Its just so frustrating. I could see all the signs before we even started, but no one listens to a young whelp. ", the knight said in frustration.

"You will have a command of your own someday. You were born to lead, that's one of the reasons that I'm so attracted to you. You radiate power and leadership, even though no one else sees it. In the mean time you will always have my ear, my eyes... my lips...", purred Syr. Before she could finish, the chiseled muscular Arl abandoned donning his armor and threw himself back towards his willing companion.

* * *

><p>Syr watched her knight finally leave her tent. It was late in the morning , and she was sure there would be rumors spread about them now. The half elf didn't actually care what others had to say, she half expected they would all be dead soon anyways. The hobgoblins and their allies under King Huk were amassing around them. Already their shamans had erected totems to bar travel magic, and their siege ballistas were in place to deter skyships. There was rumors of a relief force, but the half elf ranger knew they would never make it in time. She smiled at the thought of Arl generously offering her a place in the over crowded fort, but she knew that just delayed the inevitable. Despite her impending doom, the half elf couldn't recall being happier in her life.<p>

*Whistle*

"Wow, look at him. Its hard to believe I bagged someone with those sexy rock hard abs in my youth.", commented a strangely familiar voice.

Syr spun and saw a woman that was attired in a tight elaborate green leaf robe. She had long dark hair and a shallow face, she was very thin and had fine but hard elven features. She couldn't be described as beautiful, but there was something haunting and aristocratic about her. The most shocking aspect of this stranger was that regardless of her dress and age , Syr recognized her face as her own.

"Doppelganger!", the ranger shouted. Like a cat she quickly rolled to the side and grasped her bow. In a fluid motion, she rapidly fired two arrows at her twin unerringly and with aim that surprised even herself.

"Oh please!", commented her double as she held out her hand. The arrows were both aimed directly at her head but they bounced off as they seemingly struck an invisible barrier. Her duplicate then raised her other hand, and Syr found her bow torn away from her with an unmatchable strength and soon found herself floating helplessly in the air.

"Look,me from the past , the doppelganger theory is pretty good, but let's use our head now. If I wanted to replace you for my own nefarious ends, why would I show up wearing a robe and jewels that are way too fabulous for you . ", the double said while stretching and showing off her fine dress and accessories.

"Secondly, doppelgangers are known to dispose of their victims. As you can see, I am a master of magic. If I wanted to , I could easily tear you apart. So let's drop with the shoot first to the face act, and behave civilly. We both know , we like to think first and act later.", commented Syr's duplicate.

The helpless, scantily dressed half elf nodded in compliance and soon found herself back on solid ground. "If you aren't a doppelganger, who or what are you?", inquired Syr cautiously.

"Why...I am you of course! A future version. I won't bother you with all the details, but I am you roughly thirty years from now. That's right take a good look, get use to wearing a training bra for the rest of your life , honey. ", answered a smiling Surry.

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight, you are a future version of me. You've come back into the past to glean some wisdom for a future dilemma?", probed Syr , half believing the tale from this stranger.<p>

"That's roughly correct. It's only happened a few times recently, I'm not sure why it does, but something transports me to a time in the past. I have the feeling that I'm suppose to learn something, but I usually just end up getting drunk with a past version of myself .", shrugged Surry.

"Aren't you afraid you'll alter future events. Your mere presence could cause a paradox or something, and disrupt the time stream. ", commented Syr. Although primarily a ranger, the half elf was also very skilled at magic and its associated lores. Syr always believed her true vocation was to become a wizard, but financial burdens hindered her from studying under trained tutors or enrolling at the Great Wizard Academy in Grom City.

"Change the time stream? Alter events? Hah! Only father can do that! ", snorted Surry as she found a half empty bottle of wine and poured herself and her duplicate a cup.

"Wait...our father? You've met our real father! ", replied a stunned Syr.

Surry smiled, "Yes I've met Fetch. He's a good guy. He's nothing we ever expected. On one hand , he has the power to move mountains and has mastered the powers of creation. On the other hand ...he's a big dork and doofus. ", chuckled the older half elf.

Syr shook in amazement. She knew very little of her father, save that he was an adventurer that bedded her whore of a mother when she was in heat. She always suspected he was some loser , but Surry's revelations brought joy to her. "A true adventurer? That bitch Brita must be green with envy !", smiled Syr .

Surry's mood grew dark. "Look, don't talk about Brita...mother like that. I know you feel abandoned by her and you have every reason to hate her, but she had her reasons. Despite what you think , she really cares for you and Agni. Give her another chance ok. "

Syr was livid, but she kept her anger in check. She was not about to challenge future version of herself again. "I see you have made your peace with mother. I guess that's a good thing."

Surry nodded. "Trust me , it is. Look I don't want to brag or anything, but in the future you become an archmage, a sacred Treekeeper, and Leader of the Ice elves. However , I would gladly trade all that prestige and power compared to the bonds I have with my true family and extended family. Brita, Fetch, Tyris, Fyrisvellir, Sharliss, Sarin, Agni and Sasha. That's true power girl."

Syr grew suspicious at the last comment. Her alleged future self was beginning to sound like some Sunday school fable. Also the thought she would become an archmage, and more incredibly a sacred tree keeper seemed outrageous to say the least. Leader of the ice elves seemed probable though, she always considered herself the smartest of her diminishing people, and it would be logical if they appointed her in charge.

Suddenly Syr stopped, "Wait..wait...Sasha? Sasha that cleric of Linel ...she becomes a part of the family?", asked the half elf as she fully processed Surry's comments.

Surry giggled,"Yeah that Sasha. The one in this camp right now. I'll tell you a secret. You know how our seemingly innocent brother is always supposedly praying with her for strength in battle the last few weeks. Well, sistah...they ain't praying !", declared the older half elf with a playful smile.

Syr was in shock, "How..how could I have missed that. ", she wondered in amazement. She didn't doubt her double, the more she thought about it the more the pieces fit together.

"I'm guessing our own little little liaison at this time clouded your vision.", smirked Surry.

Both half elves erupted in laughter together. The joyous pair's mirth was a strange sound in the grim war camp, and attracted a few curious observers.

"Syr! Are you alright ? ", asked a tall and noble warrior as he hopped into the tent. Closely following him , was a stunning woman with short platinum blond hair wearing heavy clerical armor.

The pair looked at the identical elves and were stunned.

"Dafuq?", asked Agni and Sasha in confusion.

* * *

><p>"Ok...ok...Let me get this straight. You are some insanely powerful version of Syr that has come from some rosy future timeline.", asked Agni.<p>

"Well, you got the insanely powerful part right, but I wouldn't say the future is rosy . The future is plagued by wars, demonic foes, and currently a gigantic host of Frost giants.", sighed Surry.

"Ragnarok?", asked Sasha. Both Syr and Surry were always jealous of the cleric's clean natural good looks and her sickening popularity with the troops , but both found it hard to hate the kind and demure cleric. The fact she had saved their lives on many occasions made her a person they could call a friend .

Surry considered her comment and wondered if it was the wisdom she was possibly seeking. As she considered her suggestion she finally shook her head, "I doubt its Ragnarok, no Norse gods and no fire giants, but I thank you for the input, and I will definitely look out for them."

"So besides drinking the rest of my wine, why are you here again?", asked Syr as she poured another round .

Surry shrugged, "Since I've become Treekeeper , I have experienced these flashbacks. I'm transported into my past, where I suppose I'm suppose to find an answer to some current dilemma. Most of the time the journey proves fruitless, but I did find where I put some old keys I lost once. "

"From the scout reports, I heard we will face the brunt of Baron Og's ogres tonight. Maybe you will find an old tactic you've forgotten. ", asked Agni.

"Or remember a tactic to avoid. ", noted Sasha.

Surry sighed, "Don't worry...we win this one, but the price is high. However I don't think I'm here to observe tactics. I remember clearly what we did tonight. Besides ogres fight very differently then Frost Giants. Ogres are predictable and fight using brute force only, Giants are even more powerful but they employ subtle diverse tactics and often employ unexpected feints."

Sasha nodded in agreement. " She speaks the truth about our foe. I am curious why you are telling us this. Isn't there some rule against letting the past know about the future, won't that change things.", pressed the cleric.

Surry sighed again, "Well to tell you the truth, I'm not 100% sure if I am actually in my past or if I'm experiencing some elaborate Treekeeper dream. You know me, I like to experiment. In one of my past excursions , I tried to directly change the past to see if it would affect the future. After failing to gleam any wisdom , I partook in one of my drinking binges. In a drunken moment of clarity , I had matching tattoos placed on Agni and my own buttocks.", commented a grinning half elf at her suddenly uncomfortable brother.

"I have no doubts she is the future me now. ", chuckled Syr.

Surry smiled and continued, "Sadly when I returned to my time, there was no trace of the brand, nor did anyone remember me visiting them. That lead me to believe I might just be dreaming this whole affair. Therefore if it is a dream I can affect whatever I want in it with no repercussions to the future. "

Syr shook her head, "Look , future me, I can assure you that I'm not a pigment of your imagination. Perhaps our perceptions of reality are different, but even if I strip away all my sensations and senses, the truth remains that I still have cognitive functions. I cognate therefore I am. Now, from your point of view , I may just be an elaborate phantasm in your mind, but every fiber of my being tells me that I am real and not an illusion conjured from your mind."

Surry nodded, "Oh , I've considered that. Since you are in effect me, of course you are the part of my mind that is most active. I've noticed that in my visions that whenever I encounter a past version of myself, that she is the most active and real to me. It could be because since you are me you are the strongest and easiest to conjure up in my mind, or it could be I am naturally chatty .", shrugged the thin half elf.

Agni and Sasha seemed overwhelm by the pair debating and silently sat back and continued drinking their wine.

Syr snorted at her future self's logic. "That is indeed a possibility. Have you ever considered that you might be in an alternate dimension?"

Surry nodded, "Yes I thought of that too. That's why I don't over indulge myself. I don't want to wreck or cause mayhem to some helpless world , just cuz I'm bored. Not only am I an Archmage, but I'm specifically a master Evoker. That means I like to blow stuff up. I don't get too many chances to cut loose in my world, and I won't take the chance of destroying crap just on the off chance its someone else's reality. I figure there is a 70% chance that this is a dream, a 20% chance that I'm in an alternate timeline or parallel world, and about a 10% chance this is actually the past, and some special tree magic is fixing whatever I'm changing. Whatever the reason I see no reason to obscure the future from you , because it would either make no difference, or something makes you forget it anyways. Also I might add, that I normally return to my own time in my own bed. That just screams dream sequence to me. "

Syr smiled, "Well , regardless if you consider us real or not, thank you for the information you have revealed to us. I can piece together from what you've told me that Agni, Sasha and myself all survived this. That makes my heart lighter."

Surry shook her head, "You survived and the refugees were rescued , but the price was high. . You two become cough vagabond mercenaries for the next twenty years. Sasha gets knocked up then locks herself up in her own church to atone for some perceived failure in faith."

The tent grew silent at the grim revelation. They half expected a joyous celebration but the bleak future Surry described grew heavy in their hearts.

"What..what about Arl...", asked Syr.

"Arl abandons his post to come to my aid. He fought bravely by my side, but in the end he falls during the battle. I lost track of him during the fight...I couldn't save him ..or even find a body to bury. One of the many good men we will lose tonight.", Surry said with a deep sadness in her voice. She left out the part that Sasha left her post as well. Even though it didn't matter in the end, she did not want to shame her friend anymore then she already had.

"Why...why did he leave the fort? He's all about honor and duty..", stammered Syr.

Surry closed her eyes and sighed deeply. "He found something more important I guess. He sacrificed himself so you can grow old , powerful , bitter...and lonely.", replied the archmage . Thoughts of her first true love , however fleeting, still hurt even thirty years later.

"I normally wake up in my bed about now, I'm not sure how long I'll still be here. I wish you the best of luck, I'm not sure if I'm dreaming or not, but this is an event that will shape all three of your lives. I'm going to get some air before I return home. ", said a dejected Surry. The half elf normally had no regrets on what she did or said in her random travels to the past since they always had no effect on the present, but she felt a pang of regret at the words she had spoken in that tent.

The remaining three sat silently in the tent . As the group emptied the last bottle, a war horn blew in the distance. The group had not noticed that they sat and talked for most of the day , and found the battle would soon be upon them.

"Ready yourself for battle! Baron Og has sent his ogres directly at the refugees !", cried Sir Arl as he raced into the camp. As predicted the young knight had abandoned his post at the keep.

Syr, Agni and Sasha were already geared for the upcoming battle, as their young knight friend joined them. A seemingly endless horde of ogre warriors poured out of the mountains towards them.

"We're all here...it might look grim, but together we will overcome this. Syr, Agni, Sasha, Syr...wait ...there's two Syrs?", asked a puzzled Arl.

Surry walked up and grasped the shocked young knight and kissed him deeply. To Syr's surprise , she didn't find herself angry at her double's action. It was herself kissing Arl afterall.

"Hmm...just as I remembered. A warm earthy taste served with a side manly dry cracked lips. ", said the archamage sultry, "Anyways, I haven't returned yet. In the back of my mind, I believe that nothing I do in this dream or alternate parallel world will affect me back home, but I have at least a few minutes to kill before I wake up . I told you guys I was an Archmage evoker right? Let me show you guys how we do things back home. "

* * *

><p>Surry awoke in her cold empty bed. The dream was so vivid. She could almost taste Arl's comforting lips on her own. The cold didn't affect her but she shivered in the dark. The half elf grasped her blanket and curled up into a ball. Though she was surrounded by her fellow clansmen, she still missed her family and her friends . She didn't have time to be mired in her loneliness though, the final stage of the council would be held soon, and the giants must be dealt with. Her personal shortcomings would have to wait.<p>

* * *

><p>Syr could not believe the total devastation and power her future self unleashed before she disappeared. The ogre armies were annihilated by fire and lightning , with hardly a single casualty inflicted on their own side. The most fearsome sight was a glowing black blade that hovered and seemed to disintegrate any which challenged her future self. Surry called the spell Mother's sword, but Syr thought of it more as a terrible black blade of destruction.<p>

The half elf could not believe any version of herself was capable of wielding such power.

As she gawked in awe at the display of destruction , a war horn sounded from the fort. Syr looked and saw that , impressive as the ogre attack was, it was just a diversion or possibly a pinning force . The main hobgoblin attack was headed for the keep. They did not appear to be prepared to siege it , but instead it looked like they would attempt to overwhelm a wall swiftly with their sheer weight in numbers.

"We have to rally and take this opportunity to smash the enemy . They expect us to be crushed by the ogres by now, our foes don't realize they have a fresh company of mercenaries at their flanks. We can catch them between hammer and anvil ." , shouted Arl as his keen tactical mind accessed the situation.

The troops were bolstered by the swift death visited to their enemy. Nothing seemed impossible as they rallied around the young knight.

"I don't know what happened earlier, but we have an opportunity to catch King Huk off guard and crush his forces.", smiled Arl as he helped the ranger mage onto his horse.

Syr hugged the young knight tightly and kissed him deeply. A kiss that mirrored her future or possibly alternate self's kiss earlier.

"I don't know what happened either, but I have a feeling that whether victory or defeat is before us, the future is officially wide open now.", whispered the half elf to her handsome knight.


	50. Chapter 50

"This is my fault. I'm sorry I'm not a boatwright. ", apologized Petrus .

"You did the best you could, with the resources available to you. None of us could have assembled a vessel out of thin , that was both sea worthy and capable of holding 50 captives.", responded Halvor . The rescue attempt had gone better then expected at first, they rescued the bulk of the prisoners, suffered only a few scrapes in the process , and had a substantial head start from their foes. Sadly, the fates seem to slowly conspire against them. The vessel that Petrus had constructed was built mainly for sturdiness but it moved like a log in the water. Also the giants that they thought they had evaded somehow were able to track them through the mists. Although they had bloodied their noses earlier, the group knew that they were no match for a full long ship of giants. Add to the fact the vessel could only last half a day at most forced them to pause to switch to newly created ones. Despite the obvious design flaws of the vessels, Petrus did not have the knowledge or expertise to correct their flaws. Even with Kania's dolphins and their makeshift oars the group knew that it was only a matter of time before the war band caught up to them.

"I still don't understand how they found us so fast. ", pondered Sarin while shaking his head.

"Sea ...Ranger...", shouted Kirgi from the back of the vessel of shivering captives.

"Like ...we're in the water. In the mists. There's no trail for them to follow. ", added Halvor.

"Sea...Ranger...", rumbled the dwarf again.

"There's no rational explanation for this. They might have employed magic, but that's unreliable at best in this area. The mists drift from the Isle of Dawn , which as you know is an area similar to Amarath and the Great Plateau. ", noted Nymk.

"SEA...RANGER...! ",roared the dwarf at the top of his lungs.

Lady Kania swam next to the vessel and listened to the conversation. "Amongst my people, there are tales of trackers who specialize in finding their prey over bodies of water. They do not actually follow traditional trails, but instead rely on currents, the wind, known reefs and ports to pursue their targets. One could say they are using an advanced form of intuition to guess where their prey is. ", explained the lamia.

"S..E..A...R...A..N...G...E...R !", yelled Kirgi hysterically as he gesticulated wildly.

"The whole concept seems unlikely, but if what you say is true, then are they employing some specialized form of psionics or telpathy then? If they are reading our minds to divine our direction should we concern ourselves with other forms of telepathic attacks. ", cautioned Petrus.

"They are rangers! They use bows and crossbows you fools! ", screamed the dwarf .

Kania shook her head at the concerned summoner. "I do not think so. The only other application of their power is their ability to mentally summon sea creatures, and request aid and advice. I think the term they use is "The congress of the ocean". "

"Its called the Parliament of fishes! Why isn't anyone listening to me? Now's not the time to play jokes! That's right, haha...ignore the dwarf , get a good laugh before the giants crush us. You know what, you guys are dicks! Screw you ! ", shouted the dwarf angrily.

Halvor pondered Kania's words, "Hmm...sounds like a ranger of some type. Maybe Kirgi can shed some light on this. Hey Kirgi, have you ever heard of a ranger that specializes in water tracking?", shouted the big knight.

Kirgi threw his hands up in the air and made a rude gesture at Halvor .

"Hey ,what's his problem?", sniffed the big knight.

"Don't blame him, I don't think he can hear us. I placed a silence spell on the boat to lower the chances of the giant's find us by sound. Despite the roaring waves, it is a wise precaution. However , as you know , enchantments and sea vessels are not my area of expertise. Considering my skill at magical crafting, and the for mentioned mists, it would not suprise me if the spell is flawed in some way. The spell might possibly not be working, or the sounds might be distorted .", explained Petrus.

"Or it could be like your fire walls, they only work one way. ", added Adria.

* * *

><p>"For a guy staying in the best cabin in the vessel, you don't like too happy. Sea sickness or something a little more personal? ", taunted Isula to the orange tiefling.<p>

Zax was surprised that the miniature albino girl commented on his distress. Partially because he was trying to hide his discomfort, but mostly because the pair seldom talked to each other. Disregarding the previous night, Zax always conversed with Darwen and often to Sharliss. He seldom talked to the mysterious giant though. Their only close contact was when they first met , when she chased him around in circles before collapsing.

"All the cabins on the Acheron are quite nice. This is a remarkable vessel, unlike any I've ever seen. Who would have thought a ship made of iron and bronze could travel through the ocean. The fact it can also go underwater makes it even more amazing.", replied the tiefling , attempting to evade the question. Darwen had slept in a different cabin last night, much to the tiefling's distress. He saw no reason to confide in the weird giant though.

"Indeed it is. It is definitely built with a master's touch, heavily fortified with magic , and I see wards against astral and ethereal intruders. It is similar to the skyships the Grom Empire employs , but obviously from a different manufacturer. I have not encountered anything of similar construction like this before. From Sharliss's and Darwen's reaction I guess it was not built by any of the modern empires. This narrows my suspicions that the Acheron was built on one of the outer planes . Considering its dark and grim motifs, I would guess one of the lower ones, most likely the one it was named after. It might have been used to navigate the river Styx or Lethe , or some other hazardous outer planar water way. ", commented the giant.

Zax stared at Isula dumbfounded. He was still use to her muttering in her gobbledygook giant babble , or more recently her comical cave man talk. "Hey when did you start speaking in sentences? ", commented the tiefling , disregarding the miniature giantess's detailed explanation.

Isula ignored the frivolous question and concentrated back on her original query. Not because she cared about Zax, but more for her comrade in arms Darwen. " I think you should worry about your own problems, rather then my ability to articulate my self in your language.", the giantess said icily.

"What are you talking about? ", asked Zax, truly perplexed.

Isula's eyes narrowed and she considered smashing his clueless face in. That was the most common form of conflict resolution amongst her people and she thought it was an appropriate response to the tiefling's plainly stupid question. Instead of striking him though, she breathed deeply and released the tension from her fists. "Look Zax. Darwen is a bit wound up right now. She's nervous because she's going to her homeland. That means a lot to her. She is probably seeing things that aren't there right now , you know the way you've been acting around the capt...", began the giant but was suddenly interrupted.

"Sir Zax. Was your cabin prepared in a manner you are suited to? ", commented a smiling and sauntering Captain Blaze. The elven swashbuckler was dressed in tight black leather trousers, and sported a loose white unbuttoned doublet. She flashed Zax a bright smile that seemed to brighten the dark corridors of the dreary Acheron.

"Yes my lady. Even my refined tastes are satisfied with the accommodations here. ", smiled the tiefling at the flirty captain.

"Would you do me the honor of accepting a tour of my humble vessel. We seldom have passengers of your rank and station grace my ship. ", purred Blaze.

Zax nodded, "Yes I would like that. Seldom do I have the opportunity to explore such an unique ship , with such a beautiful guide. If I were to hazard a guess , I would say the Acheron was built on one of the outer planes . Considering its dark and grim motifs, I would guess one of the lower ones, most likely the one it was named after. It might have been used to navigate the river Styx or Lethe , or some other hazardous outer planar water way. Whatever it's origins, it is definitely unique and I would like to see more of it. Please...lead on ! ", commanded the tiefling as he was escorted by the smiling Blaze.

Isula shook her head. She should have smashed the tiefling's face when she had the chance.

* * *

><p>Nymk tested the draw on her new bow, a simple weapon she picked up in Lower Lueders at a weapon merchant. Her infamous black bow was the sword woman's favored weapon of choice. The deadly weapon was crafted from rare horn, bone and woods from her homeland , and enchanted by the wizard Delsenora, the most competent of the daughter's of Boryis. She had killed dragons, giants, and all manner of tundra beasts with it . Sadly it was not in her possession any more, and as she looked at the distant long ship pursuing them, she wish it was.<p>

"This won't go down well. ", noted the swords woman to Sarin.

Sarin nodded grimly. "When they get with in range they can smash our vessel. We can give them the slip once or twice with Kania's manipulation of fogs and misdirection, but even a single stray boulder can sink us. "

Nymk agreed. "The vessel the summoner created is sturdy, but not sturdy enough against a giant's rocks. "

Sarin stared helplessly at their pursuers. "Do you think we can distract them? You know split up and distract our pursuers."

Nymk turned to Sarin and smiled . "You mean sacrifice a pawn to delay the game. Someone to sacrifice themselves to give the rest a chance to escape?".

Sarin nodded and returned the smile back, "Yeah . Something like that. ", she said while inadvertently locking gazes with the paladin.

The pair stopped , seemingly forgetting the danger that they were in. The giants and hostages seemed a distant thought as the paladin and swords woman simply enjoyed the view of each others eyes. It was a little known fact, but Nymk was a Knight of Winter and therefore was an old comrade of Sarin's grandmother , and noted his eyes were the same sky blue as hers. They seemed cold and distant, but possessed their own tranquil beauty. She knew her own eyes were a deeper blue then his and wondered what he saw in hers.

As the swords woman contemplated the paladin's thoughts, a distant war horn sounded from their pursuers. Nymk recognized the sound, it signaled an increase in speed. It meant the leader of the long ship knew they were almost upon their prey .

"I know what you're thinking, but it isn't feasible. If we attacked them directly , they would just roll over whoever we send against them and continue their pursuit. They won't be distracted by a screening force either, they would head directly for the raft. The ogre head hasn't returned so we must assume it was slain. We could surrender, but giant's are known for their legendary wrath , not their forgiveness. I would suspect they would execute every tenth person or something similar to teach us a lesson. Our best option is putting a few people on the dolphins and hope they get away , the bulk of us will have to remain aboard this vessel of course. Its not a good option, but having some survivors is better then none.", relented Nymk as her attention was refocused on their attackers.

Sarin considered her evaluation and frowned . He pondered the situation and then suddenly grasped and fluffed Nymk's hair. Unless the swords woman was in a guise, she would have normally killed a person for that action but she found her self smiling at his touch.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to get on one of the dolphins to get away? I would run myself, but I think my dolphin has suffered enough with me riding on it. It probably needs to rest its back.", joked the half elf.

Nymk simply took a step next to the paladin and leaned against him. She enjoyed his warmth and found some solace in his proximity. She didn't want it to end like this, but could think of no better companion to make her last stand with.

* * *

><p>"What are those two doing?", asked Petrus as he readied his armor and weapons for war. Although he mostly relied on Adria and his spells in a fight, the summoner was trained in light armor and weaponry.<p>

"1000 gold says that those two will be sucking face soon. ", commented Kirgi as he readied his crossbow bolts for the approaching battle.

"1000 gold ? Agreed. My...aren't we rich today?", scoffed the summoner.

"Hey ...you don't actually expect either of us to spend this cash do you? ", smirked the dwarf. This his expression turned serious, "You aren't planning to have Adria sprout wings and fly you outta here are you? "

Petrus cackled at the suggestion. "You saw what they did to those Griffons. I don't think that would be a good idea. Perhaps if we fled during the middle of battle, or under guise of an illusion we could escape, but I think our chances are better with the rest of the group. "

The dwarf observed the summoner's explanation suspiciously, "You thought about running ..haven't you?".

The ebony skinned Adria turned her head and stared at Petrus after the comment. Even though she was engaged in dragging the vessel and about 40 feet away from the summoner in the raging sea , she still reacted to the curious question as if she was standing next to the dwarf.

The summoner acknowledged his eidilon and sighed, "I have gave it a passing thought. ", relented Petra , but then added ," There was a point, not that long ago actually, that I would have seriously considered it. After all we've been through my views have changed. Right now, I , no make that Adria and I , consider you our comrades . You don't abandon your comrades. Unless a tactical advantage is to be had, running in not an option. We will stand and fight. "

Kirgi nodded then pointed to the back of the vessel at the enamored maid and half elf , "Oh hey..look at that . 1000 gold for me."

Petrus shrugged , waving the dwarf's request for another time and continued inspections of his gear.

"Wait...you were wondering if there was room on Adria for you to escape. Weren't you?", noted the summoner with amusement.

Kirgi scoffed at the suggestion and continued readying his crossbow's ammunition.

"If you do change your mind about that comrade crap, do you think you can squeeze a dwarf onto Adria's back?", whispered the dwarf.

* * *

><p>"Is that another vessel ?", noted Halvor to Lady Kania. She was in the form of a woman again, but she seemed tired and distracted.<p>

She had recently climbed on board of the vessel. Mainly to rest for the coming battle. She was told to escape with several prisoners. Intially she scoffed at the idea, claiming to have not . Besides Sarin, she had no attachment to the rest of the group. Even though she had her reputation as a cold blooded killer to uphold, she had no desire to see him killed or captured. She knew that their small group was no match for a long ship full of giants. She hoped to wait for an opportunity in the heat of the battle and escape with the "Chosen " one. She was sure she could over power him with either her magic or immense strength. He would most likely resent or hate her for saving his life, but in the grand scheme of things that was acceptable.

"Is that another vessel ?", asked Halvor again. "I can't see from this far. Maybe your beast sight or something can identify them."

Kania was busy observinging Sarin and the small barbarian woman , and ignored the big knight's question again.

"Are you ok? Did you need a moment?", asked the knight politely.

Kania was tired of the interruptions and decided to indulge Halvor. She turned her attention to the distant object and narrowed her feline eyes.

"Yes, that is a boat. It appears to be a small merchant vessel or perhaps fishing craft. ", observed the lamia through the mists that still surrounded them.

"Is it flying any colors? Any symbols?", asked Halvor concerned.

"Its not a Grom vessel if that is what you are asking? It's not flying the colors and symbols of Narwhal of Thunwark..I mean Barkwark either. I am not an expert, but I suspect its one of the minor northern orders. ", Kania noted.

The lamia saw the knight was thinking about this development and quickly interrupted him. "It would not be feasible to transfer our passengers to their ship. Not only do they seem unable to hold them all but the vessel does not seem that fast as well. You would just be dooming them as well if you get them involved.

"We should warn them. The giant's won't stop with just us. ", noted the knight quickly.

Kania nodded her head in agreement. She was not dedicated enough to die by their side, but she also wasn't cold hearted enough to let another ship full of prisoners fall into the giant's clutches.

"I reason that the mists still obscure our foes vision as well, regardless if they have a sea ranger or whatever we concluded was guiding them. If we tried a direct signal the giants would be aware or at the very least alerted of their presence. We need to signal them indirectly. ", responded Kania.

"Any suggestions ?", asked Halvor.

* * *

><p>"I will return as soon as I warn them.", sighed the lamia as she slipped into the water and changed back into mer creature.<p>

"She's not bad for a cold blood killer. ", commented Halvor as Lady Kania swam away.

A few of the women and children were loaded aboard the few dolphins , given magical weather protection and sent quickly away. There was not room for all of them, but Halvor noted that no one complained about the one's he chose to save. His brother Joakim was still in no condition to fight, but a few of the captives took up clubs and daggers and were prepared to do battle . They were captured once and tasted the lash of giant slavery, they would not be taken so easily again.

As the giant vessel neared them, Halvor noted that they refrained from barraging the boat with boulders, but instead were firing their arbalests at the escaped prisoners. It was a sign they wanted the bulk of them as captives or perhaps they wanted to inflict a painful lesson . Nymk and Kirgi sniped at them as they approached but the massive shields and battlements of the giant ship , along with the giant's own heavy armor made them hard targets. Despite their small target profile, Nymk did manage to strike a few with her arrows, and Kirgi did hit one in the eye. Whether it was a fluke shot or not, the dwarf did shout out his strike and bolstered the spirits of the defenders.

War horns sounded from the giant's longship as they approached within a hundred yards. Petrus attempted to blanket their enemy with a wall of fire, but the giant shaman's were ready and easily dispelled his magic. Their tricks were all used up and the inevitablity of battle was on them.

"Petrus! Keep trying your spells! Nymk ! Kirgi! Try to snipe their shamans if they reveal themselves ! Rest of you , form on Sarin ! ADRIA NOW! ", shouted Halvor in a commanding voice.

Adria grew to over 12 feet tall and used her almost supernatural strength to twist the rudder. The raft lurched to the side , almost capsizing . The dangerous manuever seemed to shock both giant and allies as it leaned impossibly out of the water. Finally the ebon skin eidolon released the pressure on the rudder, causing the raft to flop heavily in the water. The quick reversal placed their vessel alongside the longship. Halvor winced as he heard the sounds of the raft's main supports cracking under the strain, there would be no escape now. They evaded the barrage of giant boulders, but now would have to face the axes of their foes. He knew whatever chance they had to defeat their foes laid in melee. It sounded ridiculous, but at range they were at the mercy of the giant's superior missile power. Up close though they could at least take a few down with them.

The giants were surprised , but happily obliged their foe. As a race, they preferred melee over range and gave thanks to their god Thryme for the deliverance of a worthy but stupid foe. The giants gave a deafening roar signalling their attack was about to begin. The sound shook Halvor's bones and he was sure people on the coast could probably hear them. Undaunted, the big knight scrambled behind Sarin as the first wave of giants crashed into their vessel.


	51. Chapter 51

"THRRRYMMMEEE!", roared the giants as they poured onto the escape raft. The name of their mythical god seemed to stir them into new heights of violence.

The war cry echoed through the desolate ocean , and shook Halvor to the bone.

Even though he was fighting for his life, the life of his friends, the lives of his neighbors, and the lives of his remaining family, the big knight's courage faltered under the giant's battle chant.

Halvor took a step back, and he could practically see their own ragtag line begin to break. The desperate line of refugees and himself could not possibly stand against the first wave of three giant berserkers, let alone an entire long ship full of them. Just as their morale was about to be shattered, a black and silver spear split the front rank of giants. The bodyguard Sarin, stood defiantly against the giants as he pierced the lead raider cleanly in the gut. A quick flick and a yank, and the hefty half elf's spear was free again, ready to slay another foe.

"Fight you dogs! FIGHT! ", roared the chubby paladin . Halvor gripped his axe and followed Sarin's example. Several of the prisoners had already fallen under the assault, but the big knight swung his great axe wildly against the attackers. A giant easily parried Halvor with his over sized great sword, and maneuvered himself for an overhead swing to counter attack. Halvor knew he wouldn't be able to block such a swing , and readied himself to leap to the side instead. He wasn't the fastest combatant, but knew that was his only chance. As the giant prepared to strike, a crossbow bolt struck the giant in the knee, causing it to falter and lose balance. A whooping dwarf yell, told the knight that Kirgi's aim was true. Halvor seized the unexpected advantage and swung his axe into the thigh of the giant. The giant seemed genuinely surprised by the power of the knight, and howled in pain. He released his blade and swatted his axe wielding tormentor with a wild swing from his fist. The unarmed attack connected and struck Halvor in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to fly back and striking the railing of the raft. The big knight struggled to his feet, but saw Sarin's spear once again flash , and strike the wounded giant in the throat. The giant's face was a mask of anger, but as the spear withdrew, its eyes grew dull as the raider collapsed in a heap.

"That's the first wave. Reform, there will be more !", shouted Sarin as he readied for the next group of attackers while standing over the first three slain giants. Halvor and the remaining prisoners formed behind the body guard again. Adria also fell into rank, as they awaited the next giant assault. Halvor knew the battle was hopeless but he saw wariness in their attacker's eyes. They seemed less eager then before when confronted by Sarin's spear. Halvor was the group's informal leader, but he knew everyone looked up to the half elf for motivation in battle. Halvor glanced at the large half elf, and saw cold determination in his eye. He wondered what thoughts went through Sarin's head at that moment, what motivates a man like that to battle heroically against all odds.

* * *

><p>"Damn... I'm hungry. ", thought Sarin as he speared a giant in the leg. The blow wasn't lethal , and another giant intercepted him before he could land a follow up blow.<p>

"First thing I'm gonna do after this battle, is eat a big sandwich. A really big sandwich, and I'm not gonna share. I don't care if I have to beg someone for their rations. Fighting is hard work and I deserve it. Hmmm...maybe I can take some of the dead people's food. They won't need it . I wonder if that's against my paladin vows. I know its against stealing from live people , but what about dead people ? Paladin's always plunder tombs, so I guess there is some precedence for this type of stuff. I wonder if Kania would get mad if I eat one of her dolphins. ", thought the paladin as he parried the new giant. Sarin gauged the distance between his foe, and then took two swift steps back. The giant try to lunge after him, but overextended himself against the retreating half elf. Sarin flicked his spear and it bit deeply into the giant's hand. The blow was far from deadly, but it painfully caused the surprise giant to drop his weapon. The half elf swiftly darted ahead two steps , and struck the now weaponless giant cleanly through the face. Even its helmet was no protection against the black iron spear.

"Hmm, this spear is pretty good. I should thank Kania after this fight. I wonder what its made of. It's sturdy and hard as adamant, but bends like mithral. That was a really nice gift she gave me. I really should ne nicer to her. I know she's a lamia but she's helped me a lot . The only thing she seems to want in return is to have sex with me, that doesn't seem that big a price to pay come to think of it. Besides being a ravenous , beast that ambushes travelers , she's kind of what everyone looks for in a companion. Good looking, cooks, dotes on your every whim. ", thought Sarin as he tried to withdraw his weapon. Unfortunately the spear was stuck, even though it cleaved his fallen opponent's helmet as it entered, it seemed to have caught against something as he tried to pull it out. The giant he wounded earlier saw this and batted the stuck spear to the side with his axe.

The giant smiled triumphantly at his now disarmed foe, but Sarin simply roared as he barreled towards his foe. Even though his opponent was almost three times his height, the half elf was a solid ball of armor, muscle and fat. Even with his recent regrettably leaner physique he was a still a force to be reckoned with. He invoked his god's fury before he struck, and slammed into his foe's wounded leg like a thunder bolt. The sound of the impact seemed to stop the entire battle for a moment, as the stricken giant fell backwards. Before he slammed into the ground, Sarin retrieved his spear and jabbed the giant's exposed stomach in a swift lethal motion, before drawing it forth again.

As he readied his spear , Sarin could hear a roar of triumph from the dwarf. A loud arcane incantation sounded and the enemy long ship was engulfed in flames. The long boat didn't seem to suffer any major damage from the blaze though, and the paladin guessed it was enchanted against fire. Still, the conflagration seem to throw the giant crossbow men, and rock throwers into pain and confusion. Sarin surmised that Kirgi and or Nymk finally spotted and killed the enemy shaman , allowing Petrus to work his magic freely. "Wait, I can't have sex with Kania. Nymk would kill me. We've been kind of close the last little while, and she would probably see that as some sort of betray. Although, now that I think about it, neither one of us have actually committed to a relationship with each other. We've been flirting non stop since we met, but we live in two separate worlds. I'm a simple knight of Linel, she's some type of super spy for the Grand Champion. I can't leave my post, just as she can't leave hers. I wonder if super spys have sex all the time? Just like in the books. ", contemplated the paladin.

Sarin saw that his attackers had changed their tactics and were not charging him directly. They had wisely learned to be wary of his spear. To his right , Adria and her iron fists seemed to be holding her own, while to his left, Halvor's flank was collapsing. The paladin didn't want to abandon the center , but reluctantly reinforced the big knight's position . A few warning jabs were enough to slow the giant's advance and give Halvor's position a chance to regroup, allowing Sarin to fall back to the important but vulnerable center.

" Man, how come I can't find a good decent, normal woman ? She doesn't have to be gorgeous or drop dead beautiful , just someone that cares enough to take care of her appearance. Being able to survive a fight would be a plus too, no use finding a girl friend that gets killed by a stray orc arrow. Oh..and cooking would be a plus, a big plus. ", pondered Sarin as a large white wolf hurtled itself over the giant long ship at him , breathing a cone of winter fury at him.

The half elf was engulfed in a swirl of ice crystals that ripped and shredded his flesh, but Sarin did not flinch as he timed the descent of his foe. At the last moment, he batted the creature with a two handed swing with his spear, striking the winter wolf in the side with the haft and sending it sailing over board. A loud audible splash , then a whine and yelp told the paladin that his aim was true.

"I've had no luck with chicks recently. There was Surry's friend Dahana. Even though she's a fallen angel, she's pretty nice. A classical statuesque beauty, a skilled conservationist, witty and polite. Then there's Jhalia the succubus sage, come to think of it she's a keeper too. She didn't even try to steal my soul, even when I was unaware of her nature and tried to steal a kiss. Almost knocked myself into a coma, but she nursed me back to health. She didn't make any claims to be reformed or anything, but she certainly didn't act like a soul stealing demoness. An exotic dancer's body combined with an angel's face, but what do you expect from a succubus. Lady Kania, I've already evaluated. Then there's Nymk. Rock hard physique, seductive voice, we even share hobbies. Wait...wait...does that mean I like all four. I heard some of the southern cultures allow polygamy. Pretty sure they have harems and that type of stuff down south. Hmm convincing three or four to share me is a bit too much to hope for. I won't be greedy , two is fine. Hmm on second thought, they might not be as worldly as me, and resent me for suggesting it. Better scratch that thought. I wonder if my paladin duties would be compromised by them. Let's see two are evil outsiders, one is a deadly predator that preys on wayward travelers, the last is a master assassin. I'm pretty sure there's something in the paladin handbook against that.", thought the half elf as he heard a cry from behind him. He looked and saw the giant's had located Petrus and rained boulders onto his position. The summoner was quite nimble for a finger waggling robe wearer and managed to dodge or use his magic to deflect most of the rocks, however a bolt the size of a balista arrow penetrated his defenses and speared Petrus through the leg. As the summoner struggled, a boulder flattened the man onto the deck. A fatal wound the paladin thought grimly.

"I wonder who would win in a food preparation contest. Dahana mentioned she learned a lot of elven cuisine from Surry. Not a big fan of elven , food but I can eat it. I don't think Jhahlia can cook at all. She seems too aristocratic to do that herself. I think she also eats souls, or maybe disgusting larvae. I would never eat a larvae, well maybe I would. If I had enough hot sauce I think I can eat anything. Not sure what Kania eats. She was serving , nuts and berries or something. I don't even want to think where she got the milk from. Although it is turning me on just think about it. Wait a minute...she can shape change, I wonder if can change into a cow and milk herself. Or maybe a chicken and lay some eggs. Hmm that is definitely I'm going to have to ask. Imagine the food possibilities. Nymk has mad ranger skillz...so she could make stuff in the wilderness, but I don't think she can do a decent job in the kitchen. Her knife skills are good, so she might at least make a good sandwich. I hate it when I get unevenly sliced bread. There should be someone way to have pre sliced bread. Hmm...that's a thought. Sliced Bread from the bakers. ", pondered Sarin as he parried and blocked a renewed series of blows from several giants. He looked for an opening in their defenses, but the giants seemed content with simply keeping him at bay.

Suddenly, just as the battle appeared stalemated , the summoner's eidolon screamed and began fading out of existence. Petrus the summoner must have finally expired. Sarin knew the right flank was about to collapse. "Damn...I really liked Adria too. She's pretty in an exotic way , though not like the aforementioned four . Like a 6.5 or a 7 compared with a room full of 9's and 10s. Not that looks are a deal breaker, but they help. She's always around, dependable. Doesn't say stupid shit. I bet she's a tiger in the bed. I think I saw Petrus get her to make sandwiches once too. That's a really big plus. Hmm, if she ever comes back I wonder if I should spend some time with her, get to know her a bit. Hey ...how's the astral plane been? Petrus grow you any interesting traits? Hmmm..Come to think of it Isula is kind of cute too. I've actually spent more time with her then even Nymk . We get along really well. She's as tough as they come, and it's really cute when she calls me Walrus man. Problem is, even though she's hundreds of years older then me, she looks like a teenager still. I don't want to be stuck with the tag of cradle robber. Also, what if she loses control if we had sex and grows her full height. I'd be crushed like a bug. I'm not sure if she's actually interested in me as well. Hmm I'm not even sure if she survived the raid. There's a good chance she might be dead. I draw the line at dead people. Unless of course it some type of sexy ghost or banshee. I could make an exception for that. Come to think of it, is Adria even considered alive? That would be awkward if she was just a collection of aether given form by Petrus. I better scratch those two off my list, and place them under possible future prospects. ", noted Sarin as he ordered his remaining allies to fall back. The battle was lost, it was simply a delaying action but they would make the giant's pay dearly for their victory.

"Hmm that Darwen chick was friendly. Pretty too, especially after Zax dolled her up with the wig and tight leather dueling corset. She was cold at first, but can be flirty when she wants to be. I scored some points with her at Kirgi's party. She's an elf from my supposed tribe as well. That gives us something to talk about at least. She's the perfect girl to take home to mother. Nothing really weird about her, except some self confidence issues, but that can be fixed. Too bad she's Zax's girl. Bros don't steal hos from other bros. Unless of course Zax died during that griffon raid. Hmm...I'll put her on the prospects list with a star. ", thought Sarin as he ducked under a great axe.

The half elf's dodge was perfectly timed, which allowed him to to lash once again with his spear at his slowly advancing foes. Unfortunately for him, this last wave had shields and their own spear men to support their front ranks. It wasn't a tactic associated with giants, but Sarin knew these weren't normal giants. Shields blocked his blow, and giant spears streaked at him . The big paladin barely had time to abort his attack and scramble back to the relative safety of his own shrinking lines.

"Hmm Sharliss... NAH..not even gonna go there. BIG X for her. She's practically my sister. ", the paladin thought with a smile.

The giant's sensed that the tide was turning and a fresh wave of attackers poured into the raft. A shower of expertly aimed arrows struck the fresh attackers, striking them in the eye, throat, heart, slowing the charge to a cautious advance. "Damn, that Nymk is good. Too good. She's like a sexy ninja or something. She has a unique exotic look . Like the best of two races. Look at those exotic delicate ethengar features and her bold northmen eyes and hair. When I first saw her I thought her blond hair was a wig for sure, but the carpet matches the shingles last time I checked. I wonder if that moves her up or down on my possible future girl friend scale. We're roughly equal in hand to hand in a fight, but she's way better then me in with missile weapons. I'm going to look really bad when compared to her. I don't mind looking bad, but she might not respect me for my lack of combat skills. I don't want to end up like one of those losers, whose girl friends leave them cuz they don't respect them. However, it might motivate me to get better. I know my limits, and there's definitely a ton of room to improve. ", contemplated the half elf, as his much shorter battle line reformed in the middle of the raft.

A low horn sounded and paused the battle. Sarin noted it wasn't from the giant long ship. "Damn, its from the fishing boat. Kania wasn't able to warn them in time, and they're probably coming to rescue us. The fools are going to get killed or captured too! Hmm speaking of fools, maybe I'm approaching this problem in the wrong way. If I want to choose a girl friend, I should be more practical. Eliminate the obvious , and shorten my list. Access their faults in a critical fashion. Let's see Dahana is always around Surry, whom I can't stand. Nothing worse then having to deal with your girl's annoying best friend. So scratch her. Jhalia is a succubus, and regardless of how playful and fun she is, sex with her means death. I can probably swing some raise the deads but its probably a bad and expensive idea in the long run. That narrows it down to Kania and Nymk. I've seen them both fight, so its a draw there. Kania can shape change, and her natural form is both freaky and beautiful. Nymk is ok at disguises, but she's kind of stuck in the hot athlete mode, so I'll give appearances narrowly to Kania. Hmm they're both pleasant enough. I'm pretty sure if I chose one the other would calmly accept it, and won't be crazy jealous. Kania is just weird that way, while Nymk is wrapped up in her duty. I've known Nymk longer so there's less chance that a crazy personality quirk will surface. I'm going to give Nymk a slight margin in mental stability. ", pondered Sarin some more as the giant's surged for their final push.

The paladin roared a defiant battle cry and impaled the first giant . He channeled the remaining reserves of his god's power and his spear glowed white hot from the divine energy coursing through it. The weapon not only killed the giant but traveled through and struck the giant behind it as well. Sarin knew it would be close quarter fighting from here on , and released the grip of his weapon. Although the broadsword wasn't his favored weapon, he could handle it pretty well. He drew his weapon and slashed wildly at his opponents. The paladin frowned as a massive club, struck down Halvor. The big knight crashed onto the blood drenched deck , but Sarin was too hard pressed to aid him. He intoned a wave of healing energy to his allies, but it was small relief when faced with the giant's fury. Kirgi and Nymk both abandoned their missile weapons, and joined the paladin's side with axe and scimitar. Sarin knew the end was near.

Nymk's thin lithe body brushed up against the half elf's. Sarin glanced at her and they exchanged weary smiles. Sarin stared at the fighting beauty at his side, and suddenly realized the answer to his dilema.

"Wait! What am I thinking ! It's so obvious! Why am I such an idiot ! Kania is like what 800 lbs. Nymk is closer to 110 ..maybe 115 when soaking wet. Even though she watches what she eats and that nonsense, I bet Kania consumes like eight times more then Nymk. Sure when times are good, there's plenty of food for us both, but when times are tough and lean , she's gonna be a bitch to mooch food from. Nymk on the other hand, eats like a mouse ! That means more food for me! Good times or bad! That's the type of woman I want ! " , thought Sarin triumphantly.

* * *

><p>A small wave of divine healing snapped Halvor back to consciousness. Despite the respite , the big knight was beaten and bloodied. He tried to stand but his body was broken, he was still bleeding and knew he would fall unconscious again soon. He glanced at his remaining allies, Sarin, Nymk and Kirgi. Bravely fighting back to back to the bitter end. He wished he was strong enough to have stood by their side. He struggled as best he could, but in the end he failed. Trying was not enough , only victory matter he thought bitterly. Too many people will die today because of him. As the big knight thought grimly of his fate, he gave a final glance to his sundered great axe that lied next to him. The handkerchief on it was soaked red with his own blood, but the knight still managed to smile at the thought of distant pleasant memories.<p>

As the battle neared its end, a sudden roar of fire and giant screams deafened the fallen knight. Halvor glanced towards the longship and noticed it had erupted in flames. Petrus had fallen awhile ago, and the knight wondered what could have caused it. A golden bolt exploded from the sky and crashed into a confused giant. Halvor blinked his blood filled eyes, as he questioned what he saw. A golden dragon was in the enemies midst, clawing and biting at the surprised giants. A knight wearing gleaming armor was mounted on the dragon. With perfect form he twirled an exquisite silver sword in a wide arc , decapitating two giants in the process.

Despite the new foe among them, the giants were undeterred by their attack. They were definitely shaken but did not falter as they met their new opponent. As Halvor descended into darkness again, he could suddenly hear chanting from around him. The giant's heard it too , and recognized it. They seemed paralyzed in fear, as if confronted by an ancient unconquerable enemy.

"We never stop! We never stop! WE NEVER STOP! ", echoed the chant, as dozens of armed grim faced warriors suddenly boarded the locked vessels. It was as if a wave of vengeful heroes from Rawk's hall were unleashed upon his foes. Halvor wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or dead .

Lead by the dragon rider, the warriors decimated the giants with seemingly practiced ease. The big knight knew his foes' morale were already at the breaking point from their previous assault on his raft, these fresh warriors and their seemingly impossible leader crushed whatever fighting spirit the giants had left.

"We never stop ! We never stop! WE NEVER STOP! ", chanted the warriors as Halvor smiled and finally drifted back into the cold embrace of unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe it! We've been rescued by the Order of the Crab! ", panted an exhausted battle weary Nymk.<p>

Sarin simply scooped her up , and gave the surprised swords woman a long firm passionate kiss.

The normally reserved Nymk was surprised at first and tensed at his action , but swiftly melted at his embrace and returned the kiss in earnest. When their lips finally broke contact she smiled at him seductively. "What was that for?", she asked as her sky blue eyes lit up and met his . They had fought together in the past , but never had the half elf treated her so passionately .

"During the battle...you were the only thing I could think of. ", replied Sarin simply.

Nymk's knees grew weak , but Sarin held her tight and the pair kissed again.


	52. Chapter 52

Over one hundred of the mightiest warriors, priests, knights, berzerkers, shamans , and mages of the north sat in the Grand Council. The crowd was restless. Some of the delegates had been there for almost two months waiting for it to start. Mainly to choose a leader for the campaign against the giants, and also to resolve various other problems and legal proceedings in the North. Although the meeting often took awhile to assemble, mostly due to the vast travel times and dangerous routes that the delegates endured, the general consensus was that the council had been deliberately delayed repeatedly. Rumors that Erland was pathetically trying to retain power were abuzz in the massive war camp. Though many important delegates, leaders, and elector knights had not arrived yet , including the famed Warmaster of Rawk, the Grand Council seemed to have finally be coming to a close.

Lord Felwind permitted a smile to creep onto his haggard face. The moment of his ultimate victory was almost upon him. To be declared Grand Champion of the North! Long had this title eluded him, and long had he plotted, schemed, cheated, and killed to claim it. It mattered not what responsibilities and trials awaited him after his ascension, he saw only the prize at hand. There were some minor obstacles still to hurdle, but the Champion of the Griffon was confident of his overall sucess. He already taken measures to secure the last votes needed for his ultimate victory , and he was certain they would pay dividends.

Erland of the Squirrel was the current Grand Champion and he was politically beset on all sides. Erland was a particular barbaric and fierce man, even though he appeared to be in his 50's. The griffon lord respected the fact Erland was a grizzled veteran of hundreds of battles, his reputation as a deadly warrior was proudly displayed by his numerous scars and the fierce baby squirrel he wore as a trophy on his head. Despite his prowess, the Griffon Champion knew that his allies had the Grand Champion surrounded politically and were preparing to move in for the kill. The mighty Order of the Griffon would vote for Felwind, regardless of circumstances. The Order of the Mammoth never liked the Order of the Squirrel due to clashes over territory, and Felwind suspected they would vote against Erland on general principal. Champion Kalinka of the lion sat uneasily next to her Knight Commander Brita. Erland had ruled in favor of the returning Ice Elves on matters of their homeland, so he suspected the Snow Lion Champion would not vote in his favor as well. However he heard there was a split in their ranks, so he only tentatively counted on their support . The recent "war" with Grom had brought trade to a halt, and many in that mercantile based Order of the Narwhal were not happy with the lack of leadership in resolving the conflict. Felwind suspected that their votes would be split . Despite their long history of battles , the Order of the Boar were not known to vote in blocks, and Felwind suspected that a majority of them would not support his claim. Most of the minor orders and elector knights were already intimidated, bribed, or slain by Felwind's minions. They would not be a factor. Felwind only counted the Order of the Squirrel to support him. In a cruel twist of fate, even the fore mentioned Ice Elves did not support him at continuing his reign as Grand Champion. Another quiet coup won by Felwind's political bullying. The signs pointed to a rocky change in power, but it was inevitable .

The only thing that was directly standing in Felwind's path was the tedious votes and debate for a slew of minor claims. The griffon Lord was both bored and annoyed at these proceedings, and he made note to streamline this process in the future. Perhaps get his son to duel those that made such proposals.

"Silver Arbiter Ivanovic has submitted that Hida Franksada also known as Seigeirr , the Victorious Javelin, and...the err Frank Spanker... shall be fully accepted as the Champion of the Crab. So far he has served as their Knight Commander with only a few minor public complaints and problems. Is any opposed to this suggestion? ", declared Grand Champion Erland with a mighty voice.

The crowd mumbled amongst themselves. Arbiter Ivanovic was a well respected knight, and Sir Frank had won great honor with the Great Host during the battle with the demon Yeenoghu. It was said that he was the one that lead the charge that eventually banished the monster.

"I wish to challenge his claim. I wish to test my strength against his to see if he is worthy. ", exclaimed a tall blonde woman at the side of the Champion Fleur of the Narwhal. Ivanovic nodded. It did not surprise him that the Narwhal would test one of their warriors against the Crab Champion . Although the Crab was considered a minor order, they had grown in power and influence ever since the mists had lifted from the north. It would seem appropriate that they would seek to know the true strength of their neighbor and potential ally or rival.

"Sadly , Hida Franksada is not present. I'm sure you know that not all the delegates and elector knights have arrived. If you wish , I will sponsor a duel between you two when he arrives, pending the outcome of this vote. If that is not sufficient, we will suspend his appointment .", declared Ivanovic. Although he understood the Narwhal's concern, the Silver Arbiter was not pleased that his judgement was being questioned. He was also well within his rights to duel the Narwhal for this slight, but he conceded that they had well grounded concerns. Such was the way of politics of the North. Reason balanced against savage violence.

The blond woman exchanged a brief words with Champion Fleur . "We have no desire to delay the vote, we just wish to test the strength of this man. ", she answered .

"Excellent. All those who support the motion that Hida Franksada is declared the Champion of the Crab, raise their hands ! All those against? The motion passes 70 to 20 with 20 abstentions! All hail Champion Frank !", roared Erland .

"Our next motion has been submitted by both the Emerald Arbiter Khongorzul and Silver Arbiter Ivanovic . Since Lady Khongorzul is not here , Silver Arbiter Ivanovic has fully sponsored her motion . Knight Commander ...err Zax ... has been nominated to fulfill the vacant position of Champion of the Husky! He is known as Hag Slayer, Troll Stomper, and Boar Killer. He had also slain Sir Albin of the Griffon in honorable combat. ", declared Erland with emphasis on the word Griffon.

Felwind raged at the slight, but the Griffon Lord gave no show of anger to the Grand Champion.

"Does anyone oppose this motion?", roared Erland .

A deep murmur filled the tent. There was a lot of wild speculation about this Zax. Erland himself was unsure what to make of him, but he trusted the word of the Arbiters.

"Is this Zax present?", asked Aethulwulf Champion of the Mammoth.

"Sadly he isn't. I've been told he was caught up in the incident of Grom City. He was one of the heroes that stopped that attack, before it got out of hand. ", replied Erland.

A vast angry murmur erupted from the tent. "You mean he fought against the patriots that almost liberated that cesspool of corruption! ", shouted a nameless knight from amongst the crowd.

Erland rose angrily, and the tent fell silent. "I mean, he stopped traitors that attacked a civilian center without provocation, raped innocents and pillaged their homes , and declared an unsanctioned war on our loyal ally. Traitors that spit upon everything we hold dear as knights. I will admit I can not stand those money hungry Grommers, but they did come to our aid when we needed them the most. That is not how we repay our friends. If anyone does not agree with me, please say so right now. We'll settle things right now in the dueling pit !", challenged the Grand Champion.

Although the proper procedure was that the Arbiter handles duels, Erland was well within his rights and the law to fight personally if he so desired. The room nervously glanced at Felwind, and his close allies Aethulwulf of the Mammoth and Kalinka of the Snow Lion. The three remained passive as no challenges were declared.

Erland glared at the assembled lords and electors, he would have preferred a battle then a slow political death, but sat down and continued with the motion. "Does anyone else have a problem or comment about this...Zax person."

One of Felwind's subordinates stood up. "I heard that this Zax person is a tiefling. It's bad enough that we allow the odd elf , dwarf and halfling in our ranks. It's even worse that we allow them a voice in our council, but a tiefling? Really?" , declared the Grffon Knight Jurgen.

Erland shrugged, "I agree that tiefling's are unheard of in our ranks. I have my own reservations about this , but Sir Ivanovic and Lady Nymk have both vouched for him. I trust their judgement, but if you have reservations perhaps you can take it up with them."

Ivanovic stood up and glared at the Griffon Knight. "Anytime son. ", warned the old warrior.

The Griffon Knight smiled and was about to accept the challenge, but Felwind waved him back with a slight motion with his hand. The knight then bowed and sat down. "Another time old man . ", Jurgen mouthed.

"Are there any objections or comments? All those who support the motion that Sir Zax is declared the Champion of the Husky, raise their hands ! All those against? The motion narrowly passes 41 to 30 with 39 abstentions! All hail Champion Zax !", roared Erland to weak applause.

"Now that the minor issues are taken care of , we will determine the position of the Silver Champion and Grand Champion during the next session. This meeting will reconvene at the traditional time of dawn. ", declared Erland.

Felwind smiled and gave a mock salute to Erland. All the minor distractions were gone, even the fabricated ones to delay his ascension.

* * *

><p>Hanis shifted nervously in the presence of the Lion of Grom. The half elf's first visit to the Royal Palace did not go as planned. Even before Lord Quick was given the title of Sir Eggbert, the elven lord was known to be a deadly duelist that suffered no fools.<p>

It had not gone according to the half elf's plans, it was suppose to be a quick snitch and pay job. Hanis had left his newly adopted city to make some coin by selling information to the Royal Adventurers. Little did he know that he would attracted the attention of the the infamous elven killer . At first he was elated, for surely a man of Lord Quick's reputation and means would reward him greatly, but so far nothing was said as Hanis sat quietly in his office. The dusky half elf awaited his fate with baited breath.

The Royal adventurer seemed to have noticed Hanis's unease and leaned menacingly forwards. "Mint? ", he asked while pushing a bowl of confectionery forward with a subtle use of his magic.

"No Sir..I mean Thank you Sir. ", stammered the former soldier. Hanis regretted returning to the surface more and more as he sat patiently in the office.

"You know. I wish you came directly to me instead of some lower bureaucrats first. This makes things...complicated. If you have anything important to say, there's a good chance you'll ...vanish. You know how politics are, such a messy blood sport. ", waxed the elven duelist. "Best to watch your words. ", he added with a grim stare.

Hanis gulped nervously and nodded at the suggestion.

As the tension grew and threatened to snap the dusky half elf's sanity, the doors to the office finally flew open . A pale man with a perfectly trimmed dark blue hair and goatee entered, Hanis could tell right away he was a tiefling of some sort. Following him was a middle aged man with a paunch wearing dirty work coveralls , he looked more at home at a forge or workshop then at the Royal Palace.

"This better be important. ", snarled the workman indignantly as he wiped the oil and grime off of himself. "I'm in the middle of an important project. ", sniffed the man.

"My lord. I was instructed to contact you at first opportunity if news of Sharliss surfaces. ", explained the pale man with the dark blue hair. Hanis observed the man, and noticed he was wearing red robes with purple and gold trim. Although Lord Quick did not wear the Robes of a Royal Adventurer, this man surely did.

"Alledged information. ", yawned Lord Quick. "I doubt whatever he has to say is the truth. Let's just hear what he has to report , then ...decide what to do . ", grinned the elven duelist as he stared intently at Hanis.

Hanis began sweating madly from the elven lord's gaze. He considered getting up , screaming at the top of his lungs and running madly out of the office, but knew the elven lord would be faster then him. He guessed there was a reason he had the name he did.

"Sir Belcadiz, calm down . You are scaring this poor man. ", ordered the pale man. "Please tell us what you know.", the tiefling commanded with an imperious voice.

Hanis gazed at Lord Quick who in turn gazed at the tiefling. The elven lord knew he was being observed and simply rolled his eyes . The half elf swallowed the bile that threatened to pour from his throat and began his story. "Less then a week ago, my patrol from Dark Bark Wark escorted an unusual group into our city. ", began Hanis when he was suddenly stopped.

"Wait...Dark Bark Wark? I've heard of BarkWark but not that place. ", commented the workman.

"It is the former city of Denzalow. It was abandoned by the military during the Bannon Rebellion, and has been reclaimed by half elven settlers of drowish descent. A thoroughly untrusty lot. ", explained Lord Quick.

"Yes sir . ", agreed Hanis. He readily accepted the insult if it meant delaying a deadly strike from the elf. " This group consisted of a giant, a half fiend devil woman, an elf, and an orange tiefling. They said they were adventurers but I suspected they were traveling in secrecy and up to no good. They were asking about securing passage north, then I remembered the bulletin you posted about travelers seeking passage north. ", continued the half elf.

"Orange tiefling?", noted the pale tiefling with an exaggerated arched dark blue eyebrow.

"I've seen lots of orange tieflings around, its like a cult or something, it could be anyone. ", shrugged Lord Quick .

The pale tiefling ignored the elf and pressed Hanis for information. "Did they manage to secure berths on any ships? "

"I believe the Acheron sir. A privateer commanded by the infamous Captain Blaze. ", squeaked the nervous half elf.

The room fell silent as they digested the information.

Hanis could see worried looks around the room besides his own. Even Lord Quick began sweating and shifting uncomfortably from the information he provided.

The workman then began pacing the room. "Thank you sir, you've done your empire a valuable service. Reinhardt...see to it that this man is generously compensated. We have serious damage control to attend to.", he ordered.

Hanis froze as the name Reinhardt was mentioned. He heard that was the name of the man that replaced Karak Twinblades as the new head Royal Adventurer. A man shrouded in mystery and danger.

"Yes , Emperor Clovis. ", replied the pale tiefling towards the workman.

At that point Hanis fainted .

* * *

><p>Erland's brow was heavy with concern as he read the report. His scouts reported that a small detachment of Griffon knights had returned to Narwhal hold. Badly beaten and bloody. From the scant reports he received, it seemed that they had a run in with the encroaching giants and came out the losers . Anytime that Griffon knights were humbled would normally have been welcomed news to the Grand Champion, but the fact that they were inflicted thus bygiants gave him much to think about. They would have to move against this threat and soon.<p>

A commotion outside stole his attention and he knew from the scent who it was. He turned and saw his nose was correct as a familiar woman entered his tent.

"You wanted to see me Snappy?", asked Surry as she easily slipped past Erland's guards. They attempted to grab her, but only managed to dissipate an image of the Treekeeper into smoke and shadows. The grizzled Grand Champion sighed and waved his guards aside so he can talk to the annoying elven leader.

"One of my ...ears...has heard that you have been personally approached by Lord Felwind before the meeting.", stated Erland calmly.

Surry held out her hands and smirked. "No no...do not let your imagination get ahead of you. I did not directly turn down his offer , he thinks I'm milling this over. My votes are still your votes. ", she said smugly.

Erland shrugged, "I had no doubts where your loyalties lie. I just wish to know what type of offer or leverage he presented. ", explained the Squirrel Lord while pouring two glasses of wine.

Surry's smug look vanished, "You're no fun. I was hoping to see an old geezer like you sweat. ", she complained at the gnarled and muscular warrior. " Will those no good elves stab me in the back for the next better offer? Will the beautiful priestess Surry spurn my friendship? ", she stated melodramatically with the back of her hand pressed on her forehead. Even though she described herself as beautiful it was a common belief that Surry wasn't . Despite her people's reputation for its beautiful elven maidens, the tree keeper certainly didn't fit the bill. She was medium height , thin and lacking anything similar to sensual curves. Her features could only be described as angular and harsh. While most elves could be desribed as swan like , Surry was more akin to a raven. Only her blue eyes, slender ears and long silky dark hair betrayed her elvish heritage.

Erland grumbled. "Like many of my people, I do not trust elves on principle. However, I can safely say I am a good judge of character. I can not say why, but I believe you are the type of person that will stay in a burning lodge to rescue a friend instead of fleeing for safety. ", shrugged the Squirrel lord, annoyed that his faith in the elf was questioned. He offered one of the glasses to the half elf.

"Hmmm...so does that make me loyal or stupid? ", chuckled Surry. "Exactly how much of your faith in me is based off of my father's reputation?", she added while slowly twirling her glass. She had kept the identity of her father a secret, but the Grand Champion easily discerned her heritage when he first met her by her scent.

"I greatly respect who your father is, but it bears little weight in my judgement. Family honor is a basic tenet of our war like culture, but I place little stock in it. A person should not be judged positively or negatively based on what his family did. Besides , the fact your father is the Warmaster is not a well known fact. I would have not known that , except Arbiter Khongorzul revealed that information to me long after we had met. ", sighed the Grand Champion as he quaffed his drink. Arbiter Khongorzul only hinted at her identity but her scent was the true indication of who her father was. Erland was content not to reveal the full extent of his Squirrel blessed nose. He drained his wine quickly and poured himself another glass , seemingly immune to its effects.

Surry nodded, satisfied with his response. " I will take that as a compliment to my loyalty then. Anyways, Felwind came to me personally last night. He is hedging his bets it seems . He offered my people a small patch of uninhabitable tundra . He also alluded that he has my nephew captive, but didn't say so outright. "

Erland raised an eyebrow at her revelation. "So he offered to spare your tribe and your family's lives in exchange for votes? and you turned this offer down ?", he asked with genuine surprise.

Surry smiled, "Yup. I know griffons are a mix of lion and eagle, but in Felwind's case it should have been a rat, a snake and a weasel. That man has done nothing but threaten and harass my people since we came here. The fact that he has my brother's son Sarin and using him as a bargaining chip repulses me as well. I would trust that man as far as I can cast a meteor swarm on him. ", noted the priestess as she still nursed her untouched drink.

"You would abandon your nephew so easily?", asked Erland intrigued. The Grand Champion had made many such sacrifices in the past for the greater good , but was always interested when others had to make the same decision. It provided him with some solace that others also balanced the fate of the people they protected. He found their motivations and judgements gave him insight and strength to make his own dire decisions.

"Well it wasn't an easy decision. Although I don't particularly care for him, he is family. I would sacrifice my own life in exchange for his, if I believe there was a chance that Felwind would honor the agreement. However , I already stated I don't trust the man. Also , Sarin's a paladin of Linel. I think he would be the last one to advocate a deal that placed his life ahead of some many others. ", replied Surry with weariness in her voice. "I do not relish explaining to my brother my actions. ", she added in a small voice.

The answer and more specifically her response was sufficient for Erland. His respect for the half elven priestess grew considerably with her reply. It was not an easy path , but it was the path he would have chosen himself. If her nephew was killed by her actions, he doubt her relationship with her brother and father would ever be the same again.

"You know what this means don't you? Felwind doesn't believe he has enough votes. There is a split in his faction . Unless of course he just wants to cement a win by securing your support. ", commented the Grand Champion as he drained his second glass. He then forgone the formality of the glass and began quaffing directly from the bottle.

Surry smiled at the grand champion behaving exactly as a barbarian of his position should , "I'm way ahead of you Snappy. If he already had enough votes he wouldn't have come see me personally for my votes. He would have sent one of his ambassadors, or that gorgeous kid of his...Stormy or something. I was hoping to keep this a secret, but I think Felwind knows now or at least suspects, so I should let you in on it. ", she gloated at the confused but still sober Squirrel Lord.

Erland stared at the smiling elf. She was obviously teasing him, and in other circumstances he would have had throttled her for her insolence. Yet somehow, her behavior seemed familiar ...somehow their banter seemed natural between them. Erland wasn't sure why , but there was something about this priestess that had a calming settling effect on him. It obviously wasn't because of her feminine wiles. He doubt he was under some charm spell , since he was nearly immune to simple glamours and enchantments. It was something else, something that he couldn't quite put his figure on it.

Surry waited dramatically . She turned her head from side to side, pretending to see if anyone was eaves dropping. Then uttered a spell placing a barrier between them and the outside world. If anyone else had attempted to cast a spell in his war tent, Erland would have struck her down in a heart beat, but he stayed his hand for this particular elf. Satisfied at their secrecy , Surry broke down when she saw the increasing confusion on Erland's face. "The Order of the Snow Lion will not support Felwind's bid for power. That's like a third of his support gone. Kalinka's faction is the second biggest voting block behind the Boar, without their support his claim to your title won't be as easy as he thinks. ", boasted the elf priestess smugly.

Erland blinked in genuine surprise. "Are you sure of this? Why isn't Felwind camp panicking more? ", asked the baffled Grand Champion as he finished draining the bottle.

Surry gave a short laugh. "Well, Felwind over extended his hand when he made public announcements that he would "Wipe those filthy squatter elves from the north. ". He got a lot of the red neck votes , but luckily the majority of knights actually have some sense of justice and honor. A vocal minority had swayed Kalinka to rid themselves of my tribe, but a new player had just entered the fray. Someone that has enough clout in the Order of the Snow Lion to either challenge her power or split her support. If Felwind would have kept quiet about his plans of genocide then everything would have been cool, but his big mouth in his quest to score points with the numbskulls and racists of this land is gonna cost him. ", chortled the priestess.

Erland thought hard about Surry's claim and wondered who would have enough pull with the Order of the Lion to challenge Kalinka . "Brita? The half elf knight commander? ", he replied in disbelief.

Surry frowned, she was clearly hoping for the Grand Champion to beg for the answer and was surprised that he figured it out so soon. "Snappy gets a gold star! ", she teased anyways.

"That doesn't make sense. I am fairly certain she can trace her heritage to your Ice elf Clan , but she made vows to her order years ago. The affairs of her battle brothers and sisters take precedence over those of family. That's a basic law of our Orders for generations. That's what separates us from barbarians. Even though family politics is still ingrained , generally we all accept the fact that we must abandon those ties and work for a higher purpose, with the Griffon being a notable exception. I've met Brita before, and she seems a model knight when it comes to those virtues.", puzzled Erland.

Surry nodded . She grinned from ear to ear, her earlier disappointment of the Squirrel lord's insight replaced by the fact she still held information that he didn't. "Yup, you are correct. Old Brita is too much of a knight for her own good. I'm sure she would love to help her exiled people but is handicapped by her own vows. However , recently she was told of a way to not only help her people but to do so legally and maintain her loyalty and honor. Many people support and admire the Mistress of the Lionblade and Kalinka knew she would be facing open revolt if she supported Felwind and his not so secret agenda of massacring my people. Private opposition is one thing, Champion Kalinka can call upon her knight's honor to shut them up. An open legal challenge is a different matter altogether. No one wants to be publicly challenged with so much resentment ready to be unleashed. The worst case scenario would be if Kalinka was challenged in a duel by Brita. That would be messy. Kalinka is an excellent warrior, but she doesn't hold a flame when stacked against Brita. Besides I think they're friends. They would never let it degenerate to that point. ", stated Surry to a captivated Erland.

"I suppose you are the one that told Brita of this legal loop hole. What made her believe you ? I doubt it was your winning personality or magnetic charisma. ", asked Erland with a rare smile as he dug out a bottle of some unknown spirit .

Surry pretended to be shocked, but was actually pleasantly surprised by the Grand Champion's sarcasm. "Well Brita and I ...we go a long ways back. Almost half a century. We don't always see eye to eye, but she always has time for me. ", the half elf boasted slyly.

Erland blinked at the priestess , still unable to comprehend why the famed Mistress of the Lionblade's motivation for believing Surry. From his own personal encounters with the beautiful half elven knight, Erland thought Brita was calm, reserved, honorable, stoic, gentle, and thoughtful. Surry on the other hand was brash, unpredictable, often rude, and borderline crazy. Erland could not see how the two would get along. They were like oil and water. The priestess did mention a 50 year relationship, that would mean they met roughly when they were both children. "Wait..wait...are you two sisters? ", asked the Grand Champion as he opened the bottle and took a swig .

Surry smirked at his response. "I don't know if I should turn you to a toad or laugh in your face for that dumb comment. ", declared the priestess impishly.

"Regardless of your friendship with Brita, .what possible legal avenue can she claim that will legitimately challenge Kalinka ?", puzzled Erland as he tried to make sense of Surry's train of logic.

The half elf then drew deathly serious, her playful demeanor vanished like smoke. She sat down and took a sip from the wine that was offered her awhile ago. What little color she had in her pale face drained as she began her tale. " My people the ice elves, were scattered, burned, murdered, and killed by Sir Hildraxel, the terror of the north. He destroyed our homes, and slew my people for no reason other then his own madness. This amongst other acts had branded him a villain and traitor to all civilized peoples. "

Erland nodded uneasy at her statement. The Grand Champion knew all this. He heard of the massacre by the great enemy Sir Hildraxel and the subsequent failed attempts to bring him to justice. The crazed knight was said to be one of if not the greatest warrior in history. As skilled and deadly as the original Sir Eggbert , Zalthar the slayer, and the dreaded Blackguard the Avenger. Even the Grand Champion had doubts he would be able to compete in a duel with the man . " I know all this. It is a black stain on our history. What does this have to do with Brita having a legal claim to the elves ancestral homeland. It's true that it originally belong to them, but it has been abandoned nearly three or four hundred years. By our traditions and laws, their claim to it has long past. I myself think it is a trivial matter, since hardly anyone ever uses that land anyways, it should be returned to you because its the right thing to do, but the Order of the Snow Lion thinks differently. They will defend everything they own with a ferocious tenacity.", sighed Erland.

Surry nodded in agreement. "You know Snappy, I saw this coming long before my people decided to return. I was personally against it, but there's something about returning home that has lit a fire in my scattered people's souls. I only came to help and guide them but the harsh land, the cold climate, the desolate solitude, all sang to my spirit when I arrived. Even the fragment of the Tree of Life I brought with me , our most sacred symbol, quickly took root and prospered when we returned. As skilled in magic as my people are, I knew we could not win a military struggle with the northern Orders. Even with mercenary companies and Grommish support we could hold out for maybe four years , but lose in the end. "

Erland considered her words as he finished the bottle of spirits. Then his eyes widened, "Wait...you actually thought of this didn't you? To take over your land by force? ", asked the surprised Erland.

"Think of it as a strategic simulation . We would have given a good fight, but fear not , our chances of success in the long run was close to zero. ", smiled Surry as a bit of color returned to her face.

Erland sighed in disappointment, "A pity, that would have been a glorious battle . We fight the odd coven or crazed mage once in a while, but rarely get to test our steel against an entire nation of mages. "

Surry looked at the old warrior and could not tell if he was being sarcastic or not, "Anyways, I sought a legal solution rather then a military one. It has worked so far, we initially made agreements with the people who currently use the lands for their herds, and we observed all the local laws and customs. However , those in power saw our return ...as something unwanted . Due to her narrow minded supporters, Kalinka of the Snowlion wants us out, but will not move against us without the Grand Champions approval. We were lucky that you were so reasonable but the man most likely to succeed you has already announced his dark designs."

Erland nodded recalling the events leading to their first meeting. He was about to tell Surry he was ambivalent to their plight before they met, but his sense of justice and honor was stirred when he met the returning exiles face to face. Their leader was far from diplomatic and friendly, but the Grand Champion found something oddly compelling about her arguments and deeds. Facing an army of knights with her small tribe seemed suicidal , but he approved of their bravery and audacity. Even though they weren't knights they had the pride of one.

"I poured over the various laws of your people to find a defensible claim to the land. As you know, your laws are bizarre , archaic and confusing. There are tribal laws, Laws from the Order, local customs, and of course the Grand Champion edicts. I poured through volumes of books, racks scrolls, and stacks of written animal hides. I found everything form laws dictating when you can hunt seals, laws that determine the proper length of spears , and other such nonsense. I even took the liberty of compiling , indexing and correcting the grammar of the whole mess. A daunting task to most, but child's play compared to someone who has navigated the Grommish tax system. ", continued Surry as a giant tome magically appeared.

Erland shrugged at the floating book. Although he was amongst the minority that could read and appreciate the written word, the Grand Champion admitted he had never read all of their wacky laws. "Is there a point to all this? What does this have to do with Sir Hildraxel taking your land.", asked the Squirrel lord as he looked for another bottle of liquor.

"Patience Snappy...patience. ", smiled Surry. " Of course the most important laws are about dueling. I won't have to lecture you about them, since the Champions maintain their power by either strength of arms or magic. Any grey areas of the law that are not clearly spelled out in legaleze are subject to a duel. The winner dictates how the law is to be interpreted. A primitive justice system at best, but not without its charms. If Grom had such a system we would quickly rid our selves of many parasite lawyers and politicians. "

Surry then drained her wine, and took a deep breath. "The land in question was abandoned, the elves that lived there were driven off so lost their claim. Even as the Elven Tree Keeper to my people, I have no legal ownership of it. "

"I see where this going. It won't work. ", interrupted Erland suddenly. " You think since Brita is a knight of the Snow lion , she can use her status as both a descendant of the ice elves, and as a knight commander to claim some sort of squatting rights to the land and duel Kalinka, but you are wrong. Even though she has quested and crusaded throughout the north she has seldom been seen in those areas. Squatter rights are seldom defensible . I can assure you that even if she had squatter rights available, she would be shouted down if she attempted to invoke them. You can not initiate a duel over such a motion. Despite my barbaric nature, I too have thought about your people's circumstance. Since they lost the fight to Sir Hildraxel, the land effectively transferred to him. And since Sir Hildraxel was never brought to justice to face his crimes, his claims to the lands were never stripped from him. Sorry my dear, your long winded speech hasn't produced any fresh insight. Sir Hildraxel hasn't been seen in ages, and most likely dead. There was a rumor that he was with us during the battle of the Great Host, but that's about it. I highly doubt the bogey man of the north will suddenly appear out of thin air ...and defend the people that he almost wiped out. " , replied Erland shaking his head.

Surry looked at the Champion and began to shake . Erland couldn't tell if she was about to burst out laughing or burst out in tears. Finally she took a deep breath. "Patience Snappy..patience. Let me finish without you interrupting ok? I find your ability to jump to wrong conclusions amusing but I'm about to reveal something that has been a stain on my family . Let me try to explain this without laughing at you , alright? ", pleaded the half elf.

Erland nodded and sat in his chair, wondering what amazing revelations Surry will tell him.

The half elf took another deep breath, and glanced at the champion to see if he was about to interrupt her again. When satisfied he wasn't she began. " When Sir Hildraxel slew the ice elves, he was very thorough in his task. He slew the King, the Queen, the elder prince and the younger princess as well. ", spoke Surry with a small voice. She looked for the wine bottle, but saw that Erland had drained it. She made a motion with her fingers and another bottle appeared before her in mid air and poured her a full glass. She sipped it and continued with an unsteady voice. " Satisfied of my people's utter defeat he left. Some of the royal servant's that survived returned to gather any supplies or treasures that weren't looted. They found the Royal family horribly mutilated, but princess's body was spared that indignity. It seemed that monster used her dead body to...well I'll let you fill in the blanks . The remaining servants used magic to return her to life, but suffice to say she was never the same afterwards. As they fled the north and their ruined homeland, the princess gave birth to a half elven daughter. The stress and circumstances of her pregnancy was too much for the princess and she perished. Magic was unable to return her to life, since it only works on the those willing to live again. I guess the defeat, the despair, and all that she lost was too much for her. The daughter was raised by the elves but she eventually returned to the north. After overcoming numerous hurdles , the half elven maiden became a knight of the Snow lion. ", said the very distraught half elf.

Erland sensed his friend's despair and allowed her a moment silence. When satisfied she had recovered some of her wits he began his questioning anew. " That is a very sad tale. However you will need more then stories and legends to claim that Lady Brita is the last princess of the Ice elves. Even if it was true, Kalinka and Felwind are well within their rights to dismiss it without more proof. Even if Lady Brita swore to Nirrodin and Rawk that this tale is true, that is not enough. We will need a witness that both the Champion of the Snow Lion and the Ice Griffon can respect. ", said the Grand Champion slowly . He noted that the normally cheerful but snide Surry seemed an emotional wreck right now. The story she told was definitely sad, but he wondered why it affected her so much.

"Kalinka of the Snow lion , knows its true. She was there. The tales that Sir Feyaxel is Sir Hildaxel...they are true. I'm not sure if she realizes the implications of their relationship, but since Kalinka witnessed the final battle, she also witnessed Sir Hildraxel and his acknowledgement of Brita as his daughter ,she can not dispute this. I know she hates us, but she will not abandon her own honor if she is called upon as a witness. If worse comes to worse, we can ask for Champion Hero's testimony since she was there as well. Lady Brita didn't want to bring this up, but she will . Its a very dark part of her history , one that I'm sure she doesn't want brought up , but its the only way. ", spoke Surry softly and sadly.

Erland looked at the priestess in shock, and a cold chill ran down his spine. The Demon Lord Yeenoghu almost devoured the souls of 100,000 knights during the climax of the battle of the Great Host and the Great Horde. The demon gnoll scattered all who stood before him. Even Champion Madgar of the Mammoth, Kalinka of the Lion, and Hero of the boar fell before his might. Even the Warmaster, the Seigeer, and Brita the Mistress of the Lion blade were no match for him. Even three dozen of the most hardened knights, priests and warrior mages could not withstand his power. Only an unknown knight named Sir Feyaxel stood before the demon lord and defeated him in a one on one battle. An epic battle that has been sung through the north as a testament of the righteousness of the Northern Orders. Afterwards, Sir Feyaxel succumbed to his injuries and was entombed with his enemy and sealed away by magics in the ruins of Almarth. This revelation will definitely mar the impeccable honor of Lady Brita, but it would give her a legal claim to the land. Although a knight could not go against his Order on matters of family, monetary and property issues were another matter. Sir Hildraxel defeated the elves, and by the most basic of tribal laws, to the victor goes the spoils. If she is the villain's daughter, that gives her the right to it. Under other circumstances, the parties wronged by Hildraxel could challenge the land claim, but those were the same people that Surry was protecting. Lady Brita herself was the greatest victim in this sad tale, so she could hardly challenge herself. If Kalinka stubbornly does not recognize her claim, then Brita is well within her rights to challenge and duel her. Even if a duel wasn't declared, Kalinka would be challenged both politically and military if Brita wishes, thought Erland grimly. The Mistress of the Lionblade has many admirers and supporters in her order and in others. Kalinka was in a tight spot. She could not support Felwind and his declaration to drive the Elves out, if she did she would lose Brita's support and possibly risk a schism in her order.

Erland did not really care for his title, but he recognized the responsibilities and weight the position carries. He would gladly step aside if another capable leader was found, but he did not want to hand it over to the power hungry and hate filled Felwind. He should have been happy at this new revelation , but somehow he could not summon any joy as he saw his half elf ally curdled up in her chair, softly sobbing.

The normally intimidating and fierce Grand Champion walked up to the sobbing woman and held her hand. "Surry...I need to know one more thing. I believe your story, but how did you discover it? I doubt you scryed it, the Lady Brita is a master of magic, some say greater then Champion Fleur of the Narwhal. If this story is challenged , I need to know your source.", asked Erland softly.

Surry shook her head and tried to regain some of her composure. "Remember what I told you about my nephew Sarin. It's not a secret but we definitely don't announce our relationship. Some truths should stay secret, its too painful when they see the light of the day or if someone uses it against you. My relationship to Brita has not been a good one. We hardly ever see things in the same way and this is a perfect example . I told her that I would reveal this if she didn't . I hurt her bad with my threat. Really bad. I don't know if I can ever look her in the eye again. I approached it wrong, I know she would have done the right thing, but I'm running out of time. I just want to do the right thing. Save my people, be the hero. I know these things, know who her father is ...because she told me . She told me in shame...because..she's my mother. ", answered Surry before bursting in tears.

Erland didn't know why but he was moved so deeply by her words. He met her wet eyes with his hard gaze and all worries of the next day's elections, the giant raids , and the future of the north vanished . All he could think of was this strong woman broken down by her selfless actions. She had risked her family bonds, and reputation to save her people. The Grand Champion instinctively took her with his great arms and hugged her. The two were allies, but would hardly be described as intimate and his sudden action seemed to shock the elf . The half elf's eyes flashed in anger at first but she quickly relented under his strength and warmth. She leaned up and stole a kiss from the champion, and he returned it while savoring her oddly familiar eager warm lips.

Surry's eyes then grew wide with recognition as he felt the Champions dry cracked lip's and odd comforting earthy taste. She gently attempted to push the man away. When that didn't work she used her magic and forcefully separated him telekentically. Erland knew he could have fought off her spell, but he relented . "Sorry...the moment caught up to me .", he apologized.

"No..no need . You have much to prepare for. I have much to prepare myself. ", she blurted as she fled the tent.

"That didn't go as planned. ", grumbled Erland at his own impulsiveness. He sighed at the lost opportunity and began to plan for tomorrow. News of the Snow Lion's defection was encouraging but the balance of power was still nebulous. The Champion summoned Ivanovic and some his squires and threw himself into his task, but somehow the familiarity of the pleasant kiss lingered in his mind.

* * *

><p>Surry hurried into her tent, brushing aside her aides and priests. She took off her cloak and collapsed into her fur lined bed.<p>

Sounds of the elves merriment could be heard outside her tent, and she briefly considered silencing them with her magic. Fireballs, polymorhping them into toads, or teleporting them to some hellish dimension crossed her mind, but instead she curled up into a ball . Her eyes were dry but a deep sadness filled the half elven priestess.

A gentle flapping of wings stirred in her tent, but Surry knew exactly who it was. It was her servant Dahana, an Erinyines . The creature was a devil, in the form of a beautiful athletic woman with dark feathery wings. Unlike a will bending succubus, this creature was a deadly infernal soldier she bound to her will years ago. It was ironic that her best friend and confidant was a bound devil she had at her command. She offered to release her years ago from her enchantment , but the creature refused and chose to remain at her side. Surry always suspected it was to eventually steal her soul , but the half elf accepted her service none the less. Dahana was one of her few close allies, and she welcomed her friendship regardless if there was an ulterior motive or not.

"Surry...are you alright? You don't seem like yourself. Did your meeting with the Champion go poorly? Should we make preparations to leave? ", asked the woman softly as she stroked the half elf's long dark hair.

" No...no ...the meeting went according to plan. It's just...its...", blurted Surry in confusion.

"It's fine. It's fine. ", cooed the winged infernal gently. "I can see it in your eyes. You have fallen for the Grand Champion, and it seems from your reaction that he's fallen for you as well. However we all know it won't work. His ..constituents won't be happy if they see you cavorting with him. They will claim that he supports your claim due to personal interests. Your own people will frown upon any tryst as well. They claim that a tree keeper should only be bound to an elf to keep the blood pure. It's especially true in this instance, since you are a half elf . ", Dahana said knowingly.

"If you really desire him. I can eliminate any rivals of his affection. I understand he has a wife but they are only together due to a political marriage, and I've heard their relationship is a loveless one. So I'll actually be doing him a favor. I can also arrange for you two meet in secret. I plot and spread rumors so that you appear hostile to him in public. ", grinned the devil slyly. Surry wasn't sure if she was joking or not, but she appreciated her friend's attention.

"No...no...Its not that I've fallen for him. It's...it's...I thought he died 30 years ago.", replied Surry as she rested her head on Dahana's lap.


	53. Chapter 53

Captain Blaze noted that Zax was wide eyed during her guided tour of the ship. The curious tiefling had so many questions to ask as they explored the strange vessel.

How did an iron ship float?

What powers those weird lights along the corridors?

How does it travel underwater?

Why isn't the air stale?

The vessel has no oars and sails..how did it move?

The Captain smiled at the questions along with many more from Zax. She seemed sufficiently satisfied with herself to simply flirt with the attention of the famous Tiefling. She didn't particular care for him, but saw that his fate was the path to power and riches . It just seemed a natural fit to Blaze, that the two of them would form a political and personal alliance. She saw that some of Zax's companions did not approve of her tactics, or were even outright jealous of her show of affection, but the pretty Elf Captain was well accustomed to it. The unwashed and uncouth were always jealous of her.

Blaze noted that Zax's uncultured elf student was especially envious by her actions. The Captain giggled to herself at both the grey haired elf's helplessness and fury in this situation.

"Its the little things that keep me going. ", smirked the Captain smugly.

"Eh ? What did you say?", asked the tiefling as he marveled at the dark portholes and the strange underwater environments beyond them.

"Nothing..nothing. ", smiled the Captain. "The tour is almost over, I want to show you the Captain's quarters.", added Blaze slyly.

"Lead on, fair Captain! ", declared Zax as the pair entered a lavish room decorated with silk pillows, furs, and the largest bed that tiefling had ever seen.

"Wow...you sleep here? It looks really comfortable. ", commented Zax as his attention darted around the room. As Zax waited for an answer, the Captain had slipped away unseen behind a strategically placed silk curtain.

"It really is, but it can still get ...lonely. ", replied the elf, well aware of the seductive silhouette she was casting. The Captain normally wore a formal but oversized captain's coat and tall leather boots, but she slowly and systematically removed them to reveal her slender elven form underneath. She was certain that the shadow she casted through the curtain would be enough to charm the tiefling hero.

"Wow cool! Maps! I love maps ! ", declared the tiefling , seemingly oblivious to the Captain's slow dance behind the curtain.

Blaze slipped out of the curtain, and was annoyed when she saw that Zax was busy examining the charts she had on her desk. The elf was wearing only a loose white silk shirt, with only the lower buttons hooked. The from hugging garment, showed off her lean physique and gentle curves. It offered a glimpse to her modest , but perfect cleavage and just a hint of her magnificently formed behind. She stretched catlike infront of the tiefling, but he did not seem to notice.

"Hey ...what are these fish symbols on the map. I see several types. Are they fish men tribes or something? These symbols look like tuna...and some are skulls. What's it all mean?", asked Zax as his attention was drawn towards the navigational charts.

Captain Blaze was unamused, but not deterred. She decided to take the direct approach and walked directly behind the tiefling. The elf wasn't tall , but neither was the tiefling. She placed her chin on his narrow shoulders and pressed her barely dressed body to his. "Those symbols mean Saughain, the dangerous shark men. Those mean mermen, the recluses of the ocean. These are sea elves. Those are the ixitichial. ", she purred in his ear.

Blaze saw that Zax tensed at her initial contact, but quickly relaxed as she rubbed herself against him. The oblivious tiefling finally began noticing her, and she was relieved that her charms were still effective.

"Ummm Captain...I'll be the first to admit that I'm a great admirer of the unmatched beauty of elven women, but...", stammered Zax.

"Shhh...I'm not done my lesson yet. ", the captain whispered playful at the tiefling's discomfort. " These numbers next to the symbol means depth that these inhabitants live and hunt . Even if we sail through their territory we could slip by them if we stay at certain depths." , noted Blaze.

Blaze knew what he was going to say. She guessed he was already in some form of relationship. Most likely a secret tryst with Lady Sharliss to score political points with her father, or possibly some other influential noblewoman. From his ice elf student's reaction earlier, she guessed he kept her around as a toy and possibly satisfied himself physically with her. That didn't matter to Blaze though, whatever relationships that Zax had, she would be keen to break and replace. Depending on the situation , she was sure she could do so secretly and subtlety to avoid making political enemies, or blatantly and cruelly if she wanted to humiliate a rival.

The Captain broke off contact and walked to her bed, she could feel the tiefling's hungry eyes followed her as she reclined regally on her mattress. She turned to face Zax, and she was satisfied as he gave her a restrained but hungry look. The Captain smiled, the reluctant one's were her favorite to break. She patted the mattress before her , and licked her lips slowly in anticipation.

The nervous tiefling hesitated , then took a single shaky step before her. Blaze smiled, but then suddenly the ship's light turned red , followed by a loud set of klaxons.

"Nonak's beard! Now what!", declared the annoyed Captain as she hopped out of her bed. She quickly grabbed her weapon belt and proceeded to the bridge with the sweating Zax in tow.

* * *

><p>"Fire Turtles, fishmen, barge . ", grumbled the troll as the scantily clad Captain Blaze arrived to the bridge.<p>

Zax took a double look at the sea troll. It looked like the one Darwen had fought earlier, but wearing loose slacks, and a ridiculous striped shirt.

Captain Blaze pondered the scant information given and smiled. "Numbers?", she inquired.

"At least 2 Turtles, and maybe 2 score fishmen.", grunted the scrag.

"Distance to Penkholah ?", asked Blaze after some more careful consideration.

"Two days as the dolphin swims. ", grinned the troll with a maw full of sharp teeth.

"Excellent ! Sound Battle stations ! Issue arms and armor ! Ready the Dragon Golems ! Load the Copper Porpoises ! ",ordered the Captain with unrestrained glee.

Zax was confused at first about the vents taking place but suddenly he realized they were going to battle. The tiefling wasn't all too keen on going north , even if he wasn't going to leave the Acheron, but the thought of battle was also unappealing. "Err wait ? Won't this delay our journey ?", asked Zax hoping he could dissuade Blaze's course of action.

Blaze, the scrag, and several members of her bridge crew stopped and stared at Zax. "Perhaps, but we are doing what Grom wants us to do. We have letters of marque from the Empire you know, and our mandate demands us to attack and plunder all enemies of the state. You wouldn't want us to be negligent in our duties do you?", smiled the Captain playfully.

"Ehh..I don't get it? Letters of Marque ? What duties?", asked the confused orange tiefling.

"She means , she's a privateer under the flag of Grom, more specifically under the Banner of BarkWark. In other words she a bandit of the seas that the government turns a blind eye to. ", said Darwen icily as she entered the bridge. Zax saw she gave the captain's skimpy attire a brief glance, and saw his lovely companion barely contain her rage. Isula and Sharliss followed the grey haired elf and they seemed as bewildered as Zax to the current situation.

Blaze smiled as she saw the discomfort on the grey haired elf. "Your assessment of my role is basically correct, but your lack of appreciation of my tireless efforts to keep the waves safe is disheartening. My crew and I humbly serve the greater good however we can. Not everyone lives sheltered lives behind the shadows of a great hero. ", the captain replied smoothly.

"Attacking merchant ships ? Serving the greater good? Please. Don't make me laugh. ", scowled Darwen in response.

Zax sensed imminent bloodshed, or at least some hair pulling and sexy wrestling. He wasn't sure who was going to win in such a battle, but he was sure he would be caught in the middle. The tiefling quickly slipped between the two and attempted to restore civility on the bridge. " Ladies, ladies . Another time. What's this about battle stations, fire turtles and fishmen?", asked Zax as he diverted the two elves attention.

Blaze smirked at Darwen confidently and answered. "My reports indicate a saughain, or shark man , barge in the vicinity. The fact it isn't underwater tells me that they are carrying valuable plunder or most likely slaves to their city of Penkholah. Unlike the Acheron, their vessel is unlikely waterproof, and would flood if it submerged. Thus spoiling or killing whatever cargo they are laden with. We intend to disrupt these enemies of the state and claim whatever cargo they are carrying. Except slaves of course. Everyone knows slaves are illegal in Grom. ", she said with a wink.

Darwen nodded , a bit of the tension in the grey haired elf seemed to drain , but Zax noted she was still staring at the gauzy clothing the Captain wore.

Zax breathed a sigh of relief. The immediate danger was over. Even though it would have been kind of cool to watch the two elves scrap it out, the likely hood of him remaining unscathed in such a battle would be zero. He could easily see such a conflict degenerate to weapons and spells, and most likely the sinking of this iron vessel. Perhaps at a future date, they could throw down in bar or something , and entertain him with some light scratching and foxy boxing. The tiefling had little to fear from secondary threat of the sharkmen , saughain or whatever they were called as well. If Blaze was attempting to plunder them, she would only do so if they had the upper hand. That was cool with Zax, she could risk her ship and crew all she want's as long as Zax and his companions were safe on the Acheron. If by some small chance , Blaze was defeated at least he would be safe aboard the vessel, and have a head start to escape. The tiefling thought if he played his cards right , he might get some share of the loot or something as well. It wasn't high on his objectives, but free stuff never hurt anyone.

"Can we do anything to assist?" , asked Sharliss earnestly .

Zax stopped. What did she just say?

"Ahh I knew the famous Zax would not sit out of a scrap . It would do me great honor if you lead the attack on the enemy barge, while we handle the fire turtles and stray swimmers. ", purred Blaze as she walked up to the tiefling and snuggly gripped his arm. The Captain's eyes were squarely on Darwen the whole time, and Zax feared the possibility of a scrap once again.

"That is, if you think you and your companions are up to the task. If not, myself and a few hand picked crew can go with you. ", challenged Blaze as her eyes flashed daggers at Darwen.

"Umm...I don't think...", began Zax but was swiftly interrupted by his grey haired companion.

"Of course we can handle this. It would be our honor to lead this attack. ", interjected Darwen, Zax knew the gauntlet was thrown and she had just accepted the challenge. Isula and Sharliss also nodded in agreement to the dismay of Zax, but he was sure they both missed the context of the acceptance.

Zax simply nodded, and wondered how long it would take to swim to shore.

* * *

><p>Zax thought for a ship made mostly of bronze and iron, the Acheron was remarkably fast. Despite lacking sails and oars the fish shaped vessel easily cut through the water.<p>

Zax and his companions were atop the vessel's deck, behind large retractable iron mantlets. There were a dozen chubby half elf buccaneers amongst them, with the rest of the "privateers" manning crossbow ports or ready to engage these so called fire turtles which the tiefling guessed acted as escorts.

Although he had never personally fought a saughain, Zax had seen them in battle before. During the fall and winter arena schedules, the creatures were often brought to the great coliseum in Lower Lueders. Their savage nature and alien appearance always made for exciting matches. Zax recalled they were tougher then hobgoblins but generally weaker then bugbears . They were ok with weapons, but were lethal in unarmed combat. Thick scales, razor sharps claws and teeth gave them a distinct advantage in wrestling matches. Zax nervously hoped he didn't have to face one of them in melee. He had it all worked out. Just before they would board their enemy he would break cover, and fire his dragon golem heroically. Then he would urge Isula to smash their ranks, while he reloaded. He recalled how she casually swatted a dozen bandits at Grom Keep and hoped she can duplicate that here. Hopefully with Isula's power and the buccaneer's numbers they would smash and demoralize their foe before he had to do any real fighting. If for some reason things got out of hand, he would grab Darwen and Bucky, leap off the boat, and swim to shore. He would beat Bucky in the skull, and use the animal as a floatation device to survive the waves. The water was icy cold, but his lame skin heating power should be sufficient to survive it. Also, even though he promised not to get purchase or rely on Dimitri products, he had a couple of potions of water breathing saved for an occasion just like this. Once he made it to shore, he would most likely be branded a criminal for abandoning Sharliss , so he would have to find some druid grove and live out the rest of his life there. Zax was great with animals.

As Zax pondered his battle strategy he saw his companions looked calm or even uninterested to the coming battle. Isula looked unfazed as she sharpened her spear, or bladed staff or whatever she called her weapon. Although Zax insisted Sharliss remain in her cabin for the battle, the tiefling girl refused and joined his assault group. Even though she was armored with breastplate and shield, Zax was nervous of the danger she would be in . Not that he particularly worried for her life, he was more worried for his. He could well imagine the consequences from the new Emperor, the Royal Adventurers , and more importantly her dark mother if word got out she was harmed or killed under his protection. As a compromise, Zax made her agree to stay with him during the battle. It had both the effect of making him sound heroic, and the ulterior motive of keeping them both out of the fight at the same time. To Zax's bewilderment, the Bosun Troll had put Bucky his pony on the deck as well. Zax tried to explain to the troll that the beast wasn't meant for naval warfare, but the troll just shrugged . To Bucky's credit, the animal just stood there impassively with a dumb look at his eye staring at him. Zax wasn't sure why , but whenever he moved, the pony's gaze would attempt to follow him. The tiefling credited Bucky's loyalty to his own excellent animal handling skills. Regardless of his actual use in battle, Zax was happy to have another warm body between him and a horde of hungry fish men.

Darwen was at the very front of the vessel at the ships, prow or ram. Zax tried calling her back a few times, but she simply waved back and gave him a one more minute signal. Zax wasn't happy how she had been treated the last few days. The captain's attentions meant nothing to the tiefling, but he couldn't flat out embarrass her or refuse her in public. The Acheron and its crew belonged to her, and since finding out she was a privateer , Zax did not want to anger her directly. Even though he was pretty sure Darwen knew he was just flirting with the Captain to make things expedient, he saw the effect it was having on his lovely companion. He saw that Blaze's attention to him was driving his insecure companion to the edge and he tried to explain the situation to Darwen again.

"I know. I trust you. ",was her only reply. She said in a cold defeated voice, in such a way that Zax didn't actually believe she knew or trusted him. He would have preferred a more impassioned plea or yelling , but Darwen did not show any such emotion. Isula on the other hand, glared at the tiefling angrily at the treatment he gave her friend. Zax half expected her to swat him in the heat of battle, so he was glad to send her in the first wave. Well away from him.

As Zax pondered his companion's reactions, Darwen waved at the prow of the vessel and to the tiefling's surprise he thought he saw the prow wave back. Zax wasn't sure what he saw, but soon the grey haired elf was back at his side. "What was that? ", asked the tiefling pointing to the front of the ship.

"Oh , that's Christabel...the Bow Spirit of the vessel. I just had a chat with her before the fight. ", the elf said in a rare smile, that brought back pleasant memories to Zax. Darwen looked carefree at that moment, like she did during that brief peaceful period between the caravan and her defeat by Sir Albin.

"A bow spirit? Aren't they made of wood? ", asked Sharliss before the tiefling could. The priestess was intrigued but for different reasons then Zax.

"Oh yes. I thought it odd as well , that a vessel made of metals would have a wooden bow spirit. Apparently it was from the Captain's old vessel before it was destroyed. She installed it on the Acheron to give her some control over it. Apparently this ship is much more complex to operate then it looks. Christabel runs most of the ship, she in effect is the ship. ", explained Darwen.

"Fascinating. After the battle you must introduce me to her !", exclaimed Sharliss in glee.

Zax wanted to yell at them both to focus on the situation. They were moments from a battle against slimy scaly fish people, and these two were acting like they were setting a up a future tea party. Of course Zax didn't say a word though. His reputation, his friendship with both women, and the fact he was paralyzed from fear of the upcoming battle held his tongue. The last thing he wanted to do , was piss off two people who could effectively get in the way between him and a hungry denizen of the deep.

As Zax grew more and more nervous and tense. He saw that the Acheron was rapidly approaching the barge. It appeared to be made of coral and bone, and was easily larger then any sailing ship that the tiefling had ever seen. He noted as they approached the sentries on the barge did not seem alarmed at their approach. The tiefling gulped nervously as he saw the distinct silhouettes of multiple shark fins swimming around the boat.

"Invisibility aura. ", noted Darwen as she saw Zax's puzzlement. "It's suppose to be a military secret reserved for Grom's skyships, but I guess the Captain is very well connected. ", she explained.

As the vessel drew closer, a pair of bronze tubes shot from the Acheron at the barge. The tubes had the images of dolphins etched on them, and true to their design's inspiration, they sped and skimmed through the water at amazing speeds towards their target. The pair struck the barge, and in an instant two large fiery explosions rocked the vessel , and brought it to a halt. Although Zax didn't see any notable differences , he did notice the Acheron shimmering for a second. Even though he wasn't a magician, even the tiefling knew whatever veil of illusion they had was dispelled.

A shrill battle cry roared over the fires and crashing of waves. It was distinctly elven, but shouts of trolls and other voices could be heard as well as the captain and several of her crew materialized from thin air and floated and flew above the barge. Some were flying through some magical force, others were on mechanical looking gliders, while some appeared to be riding trained albatrosses. They rained crossbows, spells, and harpoons at targets in the water as they dropped small barrels that exploded violently a few seconds after they landed . In response two massive shells appeared to the surface, and draconic heads popped out and breathed fire at their tormentors. Captain Blaze and most of her aerial attackers dodged the fire effortlessly and maintained their attack, but a few unlucky raiders were incinerated by the horrific dragon breath.

Zax watched mesmerized as the dragon turtles and the privateers battled. He felt somewhat safer as he was still aboard the Acheron instead of that chaotic mess. At least he could hide behind his companions on the bronze and iron vessel, not be exposed in mid air like the Captain .

As the tiefling counted his lucky stars, the Acheron crashed into the immobile and damaged barge with a loud snapping crunch. The iron vessel crashed and shredded bone and coral and for a second Zax thought they might tear through the entire vessel. The Acheron briefly angled upwards from the collision then, lurched downwards again and halted as the ship settled into place against its prey.

Zax heard Darwen , then Isula, then the elven Buccaneers scream some nonsense battle cry. Zax originally plan to rise up and fire his dragon golem, but quickly decided it was safer to stay behind the mantlet. Darwen and Isula then lead the assault with the fat half elf privateers close behind them. Zax noted that despite their girth and weight, they moved fairly quickly and adeptly on the slippery deck. Sharliss reluctantly stayed by Zax's side , but the tiefling could tell she was getting impatient. Zax knew she wasn't the blood thirsty type like his other companions, but the priestess had the annoying habit of wanting to help and aid her friends. A weakness that Zax was thankful he didn't share.

Zax peered through a crossbow slit on the mantlet and saw that his lovely elf companion and the now giant sized Isula had swiftly dispatched the confused and stunned fish men and were now taking over the vessel. None of the fishmen could withstand the speed of their steel, or the fury of their magic. He then glanced to the side as he saw Captain Blaze dive gracefully from a stream of fire, and threw a bolt of lightning bolt at an offending dragon. The bolt struck the beast directly in the face, and it bellowed in pain. Zax was liking how the battle was going and decided he should at least make an appearance before it was over. A heroic flourish here and there, slaying a wounded fishman dramatically, maybe a speech should give him some street cred amongst the barely legal pirates . The trick was to get them to think he was doing all the work while in fact he wasn't doing any.

As the tiefling left the safety of the mantlet and began striding towards the damaged barge, a loud shriek of twisted metal suddenly assaulted his ears. The Acheron tilted to the side, as part of its hull caved in. Suddenly from out of the water, a massive draconic head, emerged from a colossal shell. The dragon turtle before him , somehow evaded Blaze's initial attack and was now towering over Zax and Sharliss.

The priestess reacted first ,and muttered a quick prayer . A sheet of flame suddenly engulfed the deck of the iron ship. Zax screamed like a girl , as he was roasted alive. He was resistant to flame, but to his experience only to small sources like children's camp fires, candles, or a hot briquette. To his surprise, the fires hardly hurt at all, and a wink from Sharliss told him that she had somehow protected them with some form of fire resistance magic.

A horrible braying next to him, told him that she wasn't able to protect everyone. Bucky was on fire, and the normally calm pony began hopping and twisting to smother the flames. Due to the wet nature of their environment, the burning pony lost its balance and fell into the waters below, neighing and grunting in panic and pain. Zax briefly considered following the animal into the water. The dragon turtle was blocking the entrance to the Acheron and he doubt he could battle past it. That idea was quickly quashed when he saw several sharks circle and then descend on the thrashing pony in the water.

The tiefling turned away from the grisly sight and looked for an alternate escape route. He saw that Sharliss had surrounded herself with slashing blades as she attacked the turtle from the side with her sword.

"A perfect distraction! ", thought Zax as he attempted to run past to the Acheron's main hull doors.

Suddenly a massive form landed heavily before Zax. Zax instinctively took a few step backs, and raised the Ancestral sword of the Husky before him defensively. An ogre sized Saughain stood before him. It had a massive maw , a crown of prehistoric looking giant teeth, a necklace of elf skulls , and wore a coat of shells. The most frightening aspect of this foe, was that it had four heavily muscled arms, and it jabbed a pair of tridents menacingly at the tiefling.

The creature gazed at Zax and then grinned its maw again, showing off rows upon rows of razor sharp teeth. "You must be the captain. I , Baron Kryzin will make short work of you then enslave whatever is left of you and your pathetic crew . ", the creature gurgled, before lunging at the tiefling with the two over sized tridents.

Zax wasn't prepared to fight this Saughain Baron, but the lack of a viable escape option forced his instincts to take over. He ducked under the upper trident, while batting the lower one just enough to evade its blow. The Ancestral blade of the husky was in the form of a rapier currently, but with Darwen's relentless training, Zax's ensorcelled blade easily overpowered the trident and almost sent it flying away. He then took a few steps back, making sure not to slip and end up as shark food like Bucky.

"You have to do better then that Baron Krybaby. ", taunted Zax as he brandished his glowing blade. The creature before him snarled at the insult, and the tiefling immediately regretted opening his big mouth. Maybe Darwen was right about him learning to respect his enemy more.

The Saughain baron systematically jabbed and lunged his tridents , driving the tiefling to the edge of the boat. Zax looked for help and saw none. Sharliss was impossibly engaged with the Dragon Turtle, it looked like she was using every bit of her magic to stay alive. He could see Isula batting wave after wave of fishmen to the side, even as a fresh school of Saughain swarmed her. The buccaneers that initially attacked the vessel were being pushed back and slaughtered by the fishmen, the resistance aboard the barge was definitely greater then expected. He could see no signs of Darwen , though occasional flares of magic could be seen through the hull of the vessel.

Zax was at the edge of the ship's deck , as the creature named Kryzin or Krybaby easily penned him in. The tiefling didn't possesses the greatest tactical mind, but he knew the next attack would either strike him or drive him overboard. The tiefling didn't want to die , not like this. If he was to perish at least have Darwen by his side. Not because he would push her infront of him, but so he could apologize for the lack of attention he had paid his loyal companion in the last little while. He regretted not taking the chance to make amends, but realized it was too late now.

As the Baron advanced for the final swing, Zax noticed an opening in the Baron's stance. It was a small gap in his defense near his legs , but given his lack of options the tiefling decided to take it. He crouched low and sprang forwards at his foe, but was met with a large claw foot. Zax slammed into the metal deck hard as his attack failed miserably. The sword of the husky clanged ineffectively to the side. As he tried to roll to the side and recover, the Baron's huge claw foot rested lightly on his chest.

"What the hell was that? Is this considered fencing amongst surface dwellers? ", gurgled the victorious Saughain. Zax tried to respond , but Kryzin simply curled his toes, piercing the tiefling's light armor and flesh easily with the simple effort.

"This ends now. Your death will break the morale of your pathetic allies, and your skull will look nice in my collection. ", hissed the baron. With one trident he pinned the tiefling's weapon arm to the deck. He then raised the other trident and Zax saw he was about to be impaled in the skull. The tiefling felt Dragon's flame flare and pop into his left hand, but the Saughain instinctively pressed his clawed foot down on Zax's chest to restrict his struggling and squirming.

"Too little , too late. ", thought Zax in despair as he tried to strike the Baron with the soul hungry blade. His awkward position,the baron's massive weight on his chest , and the use of his off hand prevented even the supernaturally deadly blade to strike down the saughain. Zax readied for the end , when suddenly the Baron stopped in midstrike.

Zax glanced up and saw a dark arrow embedded itself deeply in the monster's chest . The Baron looked as stunned as Zax when suddenly another arrow struck it in the shoulder, sending it staggering back from the blow. The pressure on Zax's chest was released and the tiefling managed to twist quickly and slash his foe with Dragon's flame. Zax noted that there was no killing intent anymore from the blade, but at least it didn't force him to sheath it. Regardless of the lack of skill the blade imparted , the weapon flared with an ominous flame as it sheared through shell, scale, flesh and bone. The Baron fell hard to the ground from the wound and screeched pathetically into the air.

Zax shuddered as he saw drops of blood slowly absorbed by the blade. He didn't feel compelled to sheath it, but the horrific weapon was too much and he put it away quickly. He then hobbled to the much more reliable , and much less scary ancestral sword of the fluffy dog and retrieved it. The baron wailed continuously , and Zax saw the wound he delivered to it had grown dark and brittle. Whatever foul magic's Dragon's Flame possessed was slowly devouring this creature's soul and spirit. Zax wasn't sure why, but he slammed his blade quickly into the baron's throat and silenced the creature. Zax saw the creature nod in thanks to the tiefling for the gesture before it perished. The tiefling was horrified at his action and almost threw up but a mostly elven cheer echoed around him.

Zax looked and saw a floating corpse of one of the dragon turtles , while the one attacking the vessel and the other one at the onset of the battle retreated. The saughain attackers on the barge had abandoned their ship when they heard the death knell of their formidable leader. Darwen , Isula , and half of the original dozen buccaneers returned beaten but victorious, unsure of the reason of their victory. Following them was a very large , and bloodied man. Most likely a slave that threw down his shackled during the attack thought Zax.

"I only saw a bit of your battle, but...that was scary. ", said Sharliss in a frightened voice. A voice that Zax to his recollection had never heard.

Even Bucky somehow dragged itself back aboard. The pony was covered by vicious shark bites , but he sported a large ripped off shark tail as his own personal trophy in the battle. Despite its fatal wounds, the pony simply walked up to Zax and gently nudge his master's pocket. Zax was still in shock with his victory and simply gave the beast an apple as its reward. Bucky happily devoured his treat in earnest.

"That was amazing , simply amazing ! No wonder they call you a hero of Grom, and made you a Royal Adventurer. I don't know why they guarded this barge so heavily , but you took care of that when you slew their leader single handedly. ", declared Captain Blaze, before beginning the pleasurable task of taking stock of the inventory of the plundered vessel.

"Why doesn't this surprise me .", declared Darwen happily. Despite their tense relationship in the last few days, the elf merrily hugged and kissed her hero.

Zax was quite appreciative and receptive of the elf's attentions. Sharliss smiled at the couple's reconciliation, while Isula shook her head in disapproval. When finally aware of their embarrassed glances by their companions and buccaneers, the pair finally broke their embrace.

The tiefling then took a deep breath and shook his head. " Publicly, I'm going to take all the credit, but between you and me. I didn't do this. ", whispered Zax gravely to the grey haired elf.

"Eh? If Dragon's flame killed it, you can still take credit for it. It's not like you haven't done so in the past before. ", teased the elf as she playfully twirled his hair.

Zax shook his head and then pointed at the two dark arrows in the Baron. "I merely finished it off. Look at those arrows. Don't they look familiar. ", declared Zax while pointing at the dead Saughain.

Darwen leaned down and plucked an arrow from the slain Baron. She examined them closely and almost gasped in surprised as she realized what Zax was talking about.

"Yeah, you guessed it. It was the SNIPER! ", declared Zax while scanning the area intently.


	54. Chapter 54

The ranks of Crab warriors swept the remaining giants from the raft and the long boat. At first they looked like knights of some sort, but upon closer examination, Halvor determined they were just well armored and trained fisherman or seaman. The sight of the savage merchantmen dispatching their towering foes would have mesmerized Halvor normally , but the large knight could do nothing but to gaze at their shining savior.

"So...any of you chicks aboard want to touch my muscles? Don't be shy...its alright. Just don't crowd ok?", asked the heroic knight as he hopped off his golden dragon.

Halvor stared in amazement at the warrior god before him. The thoughts of his fallen comrades and neighbors were secondary as he was enthralled by the legendary hero . After the Northern mists had lifted, many of the knights had came south . The young noble had seen many of the warriors serving as mercenaries or guards , and was amazed at their skill , strength, and abilities to ride fantastic beasts. Even though the warriors he had seen up to this point were quite impressive, they fell short of the fantastic and epic tales he had heard from his youth . Stories and legends of a single knight being able to stop a small army just by their bravery and sword seemed more and more like fables when actual knights came to his barony asking for mundane militia work. All those doubts however vanished when the dragon rider suddenly appeared and rescued them from their giant pursuers.

Halvor was stunned that anyone could so easily brush aside the giants. Sarin was definitely impressive , but the warrior in front of him was on a different level. Was it one of the famous Champions of the North, or perhaps a member of the mysterious Knights of Winter that had rescued them?

The Dragon Warrior was a few inches shorter then Halvor, but was probably the same weight due to his massive shoulders and massive arms. He wore ornate but battle worn armor, and sported a white tabard with a blue stylized crab on it. At his side was a gleaming silver sword which shined softly with a warm dazzling light. He had a handsome boyish face, despite being covered with scars from previous battles. He sported short blond hair with clear blue eyes and radiated a commanding presence as if he were some legendary hero from some ancient tale.

As the large nobleman stood speechless before his rescuer, Nymk was the first to kneel before the Dragon warrior. "All hail Hida Franksada , War chieftan and intern Champion of the Order of the Crab. The noble Seigeirr, the first to strike a demon lord. Vanquisher of the false Nabisco, and wielder of the Scourge of the Abyss, Galatea. ", she said humbly with a clear ringing voice.

The Champion of the Crab smiled at the short beauty before him and smirked a wolfish grin. He brushed back his hair and was about to say something in return to the short archer, when he noticed someone familiar. " What are you doing here? ", he shouted to the half elf at Nymk's side.

"Oh hi , Frank, Galatea. I should ask you the same. ", replied Sarin with a wave to the warrior as he scooped up the kneeling maid. Nymk began to protest , but was astonished to see the Dragon warrior and the Half elf paladin patting each other on the back like old comrades.

"Greetings , Knight of Linel . ", replied an echoing voice, that Halvor could not pinpoint.

"Oh hey Sarin. I was here cuz of that lovely dolphin woman that came over to warn us. Naturally trying to warn a Crab knight of danger is like throwing sausages at a half elf and telling him not to eat them. I didn't recognize you at first. Did you lose weight or something? ", queried Frank as he surveyed the carnage and tried to spot any more damsels aboard.

"Unfortunately yes. Those Griffon pricks kidnapped me, and I've been running around the country side ever since. ", shrugged Sarin red faced at his smaller belt size and salivating at the mention of sausages.

Frank nodded, "Those bastards are always up to no good. Hey ...aren't you suppose to be taking care of Hush ? Her parents are gonna freak if she finds out you've been gallivanting around fighting giants and playing pirate. ", asked the knight.

Sarin shrugged, "Well yeah. I've been trying to get back to Grom City, but things got...complicated. ", the half elf replied while waving at the death and weeping refugees around them.

"Hey , your boat, or raft, or whatever it is, looks pretty thrashed. Need a tow? We're headed to the Great Council or something like that. I'm sure someone can fix your ride there. ", commented Frank with a frown as he noticed no throng of women were crowding around him in appreciation.

"Let me ask... Hey Hal. These guys are offering to tow us. That cool with you? ", Sarin asked which broke the big knight out of his stupor.

"Err yes. Yes please. I mean. ", stammered Halvor still in shock by the Knight Champion's presence.

"Very good. I'll let the Captain know. ", replied the heroic warrior as he hopped onto his dragon.

"We will meet you later. We need to talk. ", said the disembodied echoing voice again.

The Champion of the Crab then waved at his fellow warriors and the refugees of the raft. A cheer was raised as he was saluted by all who beheld him. The mighty golden beast then reared up and snorted fire in the air, before launching itself into the air. The rider and mount circled twice around the locked vessels , before landing back on the Crab fishing vessel.

"Did he just fly around us, just to land 30 feet away? ", Nymk asked Sarin in surprise.

"Yeah...that's Frank alright. ", shrugged Sarin. " Just so we're clear on this. I never actually fought along side with him. But he did attend my mother's wedding...and we did hit the open bar pretty hard there. He even did the dragon flying thing a few times to impress the local ladies. ", the half elf added with a roll with his eyes.

Nymk blinked at her companion and shook her head. "Unbelievable. ", she whispered with a smile.

* * *

><p>"You think your "guardian" angel did this? Unbelievable! ", declared Darwen in disbelief.<p>

"It's not my guardian angel ...it the sniper! I'm sure of it! ", repeated Zax to his pretty but doubting companion.

"What is this sniper the tiefling speaks of? ", asked Isula. The giantess directed her question to Sharliss as she had once again shrunk down to the size of a school girl. Zax thought it was rude that the question was not directed to him, but he noted that after their last talk, she didn't care much for him. The tiefling wondered if she had ever considered him a friend or companion.

Sharliss giggled at the question. " Oh , that's one of Zax's nickname for Nymk. I prefer Nymph myself actually , because real Nymphs are both beautiful and deadly, just like our friend. ", she replied.

Zax began to reply but his elven companion interrupted him.

Darwen shook her head as she added to the girls only conversation. " I told Zax before that Nymk was the sniper. We were saved several times by a mysterious archer, and one of our companions happens to be a deadly shot with the bow, I thought it was pretty obvious actually. She never denied it, but she pretty much confirmed it when she jumped off the Skyship to rescue Sarin. Yet somehow , despite the mountains of evidence pointing to the barbarian maid, Zax still doesn't believe it. He still thinks their is some magical teleporting sniper that watches over him. ", stated the bladesinger. Isula , Sharliss, as well as some of the elven buccaneers that caught a bit of the conversation laughed.

Zax's orange skin turned a bit red. "Take a look at these arrows...", he stated before he was interrupted once more.

"Even when I could not fully understand the Grommish common tongue, I could still determine people's roles and motivations. I knew very early on that the barbarian wasn't a real house servant. She is a deadly warrior , with an amazing patience for the hunt. I guess from her assumed role that she had some ulterior motive . I am guessing from the tiefling's undeserved Northern title, he has some political value she wishes to exploit. ", noted Isula .

Zax bristled at the fact the giantess referred to him as merely a tiefling even in his presence. He wasn't really paying attention to anything else she said however, as the comment insulted him greatly. " Look here...", he began but was interrupted yet again.

"Oh , I love Nymk, but she really isn't that good of a spy. Besides Kirgi, I'm surprised she fooled anyone with her domestic guise. She's more of an assassin or scout then some secret agent person. ", laughed the priestess with glee. Despite the carnage around her, the levity of the impromptu chit chat had lightened her spirits.

Zax started to get real mad. He was about to shout in anger , when Darwen placed her hand on his shoulder. Despite his rage at being ridiculed, his gentle companion's touch restrained him.

"I'm sure the idea that Nymk is nearby is ridiculous, but Zax does have a point. Who fired these arrows at this Sahaugin here? The buccaneers mainly employ light crossbows. A better weapon on the choppy seas then a long bow, unless they are employing volley techniques. I did not see any archers with Captain Blaze's flying squad, or with our assault group either. ", the elf noted as she examined the fallen Baron.

"It was the Sniper! ", Zax repeated futilely.

"Hmm...these arrows. I am not a fletcher, but I can tell these were hand crafted. The greatest archers normally craft their own arrows. They are similar to the ones that were fired at the battle of ..Fortress Grom...or whatever that place is called. The same ones that our friend Nymk employed. ", added Isula.

"Sniper ! Sniper ! Sniper! ", declared Zax to anyone that would listen.

Sharliss paused, " Wait...from what we know we can rule out this archer started out from the Acheron . My best guess it came from the Sahaugin's vessel. You are also telling me that these arrows are the same as our friend Nymk's ? Is there a chance she is aboard the enemy vessel? ", asked the priestess tentatively, well aware of how improbable her question was .

Zax snorted at the last comment, and was determined not to be interrupted again. "Ok...now you guys are getting silly. Nymph is just a maid, not this super spy sniper person you guys make her out to be. Sometimes she hangs out in Lord Quick's court, but that's because she's some sort of duelist groupie. She didn't jump off the vessel to try to rescue Sarin, she slipped cuz she didn't pay attention to those "Be careful on the railings" signs they had on the Skyship. Since she's a barbarian its highly probable that the poor thing can't read. If she was some sort of master assassin acrobat why didn't she rescue Sarin and return to the palace? I'm afraid you guys are just letting your girly emotions get the best of you. You are still holding onto the idea that our dear friend is still alive and is the sniper, instead of facing up to the fact she is some unidentified meat pancake in some unmarked grave somewhere in Grom City. The whole idea that she's the sniper is just ridiculous. Just listen to yourselves. Do you actually think she is aboard the fishman vessel shooting arrows at their leader to save my hide. ", declared the tiefling angrily.

Darwen looked at Zax with an amused look. "Look ...you're the one insisting its the sniper. Not us. For all we know it might have been a disgruntled underling that had stolen arrows similar to the one Nymk uses. ", replied the elf.

"Fishmen can't use bows! I'm not a weapon expert, but even I know that. Look at their webbed hands, and how the hell would their bows not warp when they are submerged half the time! ", declared Zax in response.

"Actually, there is a simple spell that protects bows and crossbows from warping in the water. I might also note that there is a breed of sahaugin called the Malenti that are almost indistinguishable from elves. It is a rare breed they use to spy and infiltrate their enemies. It could have fired the bow in question. " ,added a chubby half elven bucaneer as the elf and tiefling were on the verge of arguing again.

As Isula and Sharliss started to add their opinions into the heated discussion a loud cough interrupted them.

"I can explain this easily. I am Lionsong, I was the one that shot them. " , stated a tall auburn haired woman as she stepped out of the shadows. Even though she looked quite haggard, there was a regal beauty about her. She had a lean athletic build with generous sensuous curves . Everyone present knew immediately she was a warrior princess of some sort.

"We thank you for the assistance, but are you friend or foe ?", asked Darwen as she was the first to confront the mysterious woman.

"The title of friend is something to be earned amongst my people, I can tell you that I am not a foe however. I over heard a bit of your conversation, and I can assure you I am also not a Malenti. I do not blame you for being cautious , as my presence here is hard to explain. My brother was captured by Frost giants, and I had slipped aboard to attempt to rescue him. Before I could retrieve enough supplies to build a raft, the giants bargained him as well as other prisoners off to the accursed fishmen. Once again I was able to slip detection , but I knew my time was short. Thankfully due to their slaves they did not submerge their vessel, and I was able to bide my time to plan an escape. Luckily for me, you arrived ..and I seized the opportunity to render assistance with my bow. ", the warrior princess stated as she hefted her black bow and quiver of equally black arrows proudly.

Sharliss looked at the tall woman and was quite surprised. "You managed to stow away successfully for so long? Your skill at hiding in shadows is incredible! ", she declared as she seemed to believe her tale.

"Do you recall which clan of Frost Giants captured your brother? ", asked Isula eagerly but the woman shook her head.

"You risk much in revealing yourself now? What if we are pirates? Would that not mean your brother trades one captor for another? ", asked Darwen cautiously.

Zax of course ignored his companions comments, instead he seemed to be mesmerized at the tall statuesque woman before him. Darwen was aware of his stare, but noticed it was directed specifically at her hand. Or more distinctly , what was in her hand. " Those arrows...that bow...you...you're the sniper! ", the tiefling declared.

* * *

><p>Lord Quick grumbled as Captain Ramirez knocked on his cabin door. "Sir, the Indomitable is almost at Narwhal Hold. May I suggest you prepare yourself in case battle breaks out. Due to the current political tensions, we could experience a less then friendly reception. ", suggested the Captain with a smile. Lord Quick could see that Ramirez was enjoying every moment of his discomfort from this "diplomatic mission. ". The elven lord could handle short stints on an airship, but extended travel gave him bouts of nausea.<p>

The Elven duelist weakly nodded as he waved the Captain away. Lord Quick hated the smirking Ramirez but he knew he was trapped till this was over. It was a situation that he created himself, and now he was going to pay for it.

Lord Quick recalled the events that lead to him being away from the alluring socialites of Grom City and the endless parties on the Empire's tab. First his heightened sense of chivalry persuaded him to help the Lady Sharliss leave the city. That would not have been a bad thing, but the Emperor himself was quite strict about her staying in Grom. The elf lord indirectly helped her anyways , hoping for a future reward from her influential father or perhaps a chance at her hand in marriage. He thought nothing would come of it, till a boot licking ex army wash out arrived bearing information about the priestess's where abouts. If he would have went to Lord Quick first, he would have swiftly dispatched him to silence him, but unfortunately his window had passed . His boss Reinhardt had also heard of this information and informed the Emperor about Sharliss's whereabouts. Lord Quick guessed that the priestess was an important diplomatic pawn and it served the Emperor's cause if she was safe and sound in Grom City . Lord Quick guessed they wanted to slowly resolve this situation with the knights through diplomacy , but Sharliss's flight from Grom forced the Emperor's hand. He immediately dispatched Ramirez and three skyships to negotiate a peace with their northern Rivals before the situation got out of hand. The duelist guessed that Reinhardt would prefer a Grommish presence up north if the priestess decided to slander their hospitality. Lord Quick naturally had to volunteer, mainly for fear that Ramirez would find out his involvement in the troublesome priestess's flight. Best the elven duelist was on hand for damage control, and also to flee if things got out of hand.

Now Lord Quick found himself heading directly into a possible hostile force. The elf lord quite enjoyed his new position, and worried that it would all come apart soon. If Sharliss was hurt, or if the knight's were truly hostile, the handsome elf knew that not even three skyships could save him from some terrible retribution. Even if Sharliss turned out to be safe and the knights benign, a single slip of the tongue about his involvement would mean he would be reprimanded or punished severely. All in all, not good prospects.

"The Indomitable should proceed ahead, while the Invincible and the Republic, err I mean the Imperial should hold back. ", suggested an annoying nondescript ship steward.

Lord Quick waved him away as he awaited his fate. The elf lord heard that there was a tribe of elves that recently returned north. As an urbanite elf from Glantri, he had little use for the traditions of woodsy backward elves. He heard they were lead by some tree princess or something. Perhaps if things went bad he could use his charms to beguile her , he thought with a smile.

* * *

><p>"You didn't have to come aboard my vessel Sar. I could have flown to yours. I was leaving pretty soon anyways. We're close to shore I reckon , and I want to make it to the meeting as soon as possible. ", stated Frank as the large half elven paladin entered his small room. Despite his grandiose entrance awhile ago, his room was quite spartan. Besides a small area for his bedroll, it was only decorated by a silver sheathed sword leaning against the wall, and a small cage with a yellow canary in it.<p>

"Ah that's quite alright, there are at least two other giant longships in the area, I didn't want to accidentally tip off our location with your showy entrance. We should keep your profile low. ", smirked the paladin as he squeezed his way in.

Frank was about to protest, when he noticed the half elf was not alone. Accompanying him was the short lithe woman he was with earlier. "Alright , now I remember why I like you, I guess I can delay my departure for a little while. ", he noted as he gazed upon the attractive barbarian. " You sure know how to party. You brought the chicks, but fear not I have some booze stashed away. ", the Crab knight stated eagerly.

"Frank...do you not know who that is? That is the Emerald Arbiter. Erland's trusted eyes and ears outside of his lands. She's also a Knight of Winter. ", stated the echoing voice. Sarin looked at Nymk and seemed genuinely shocked at this revelation.

"She can be anything she wants to be. ", said Frank as he beamed a smile at the short blushing woman.

Nymk nodded at the sword in the corner. "Hail Lady Galatea, I am honored by your presence. You are quite astute and quite correct. I do not believe we have ever met, and I am surprised you recognized me so easily. ", greeted the swordswoman.

"We haven't met. But I can see the memories of my wielders. You've met one of the more famous warriors that had held my blade. ", explained the sword cryptically.

"More famous then me? Awwww ...I thought I was the most famous guy around here. ", Frank protested.

"I rank you third. ", replied the sword.

"Hey ...I love to hear all this chit chat, but I was invited to talk earlier. From your tone it sounded serious, and most likely political. I brought Nymk along since she could most likely shed light on any goings on in the north. ", declared Sarin unamused at the mindless chatter.

Frank sighed and nodded. "Yeah you are right. It's about your grandfather, my Order, the giants , and one giant pile of angry rocks. " , stated the Crab Champion as he grew somber.

"Is Fetch alright, is he in trouble?", asked Sarin surprised that he cared so much for a man he knew so little of.

Frank shrugged, "Yes and no...its complicated. ", was the best answer he could provide.

Nymk nodded and grasped the paladin's hand. She sensed her companions anxiety and guided him to a sit with her in the cramped room. "I sense there is a long tale involved. Please explain. ", she asked politely and diplomatically.

Frank looked at his sword. "Do you want to tell em' ? ", he asked.

"Go ahead Frank, you are the Champion now. You've never had trouble expressing yourself before, I am sure your explanation will be fine. ", reassured the sword as Sarin and Nymk nodded eagerly.

The warrior took a deep breath and sighed. " This giant raid and stuff...well people have been aware of its roots for quite a while. Actually for years by my count. The root of this entire problem lies with Ogremoch, the elemental prince of evil rocks or sumethin. Popular belief has it that during the era of the time mists, great powers came to the world to do battle for the mantle of God of War. Guys like Geryon the Archduke , Proprokrios the elder titan , and of course Yeenoghu came down to duke it out in some super battle royale. It was thought that Ogremoch had defeated the previous Avatar of Rawk and waited for the victor on his iceberg. I discovered of course, that it was a big lie. Like really if you thought about it, why would the king of bad rocks place his seat of power on an iceberg. An iceberg looks like a rock, feels like a rock, but baby...its not a rock. Its like frozen water and snow or something. Like who knew right? ", declared the warrior.

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes , even the canary , at Frank's insightful revelation. Despite having no face Sarin could tell that Galatea would have rolled her eyes if she had any.

Frank continued his tale, " Anyways , I suspect the Avatar of Rawk defeated Ogremoch and binded the spirit onto the iceberg . From my understanding Ogremoch was nearly a god anyways, and destroying him permanently might have been impossible. So best place him on a floating island of ice so he can't use the bulk of his powers was a perfect prison. This seemed like a good plan, but everybody thought the rock dude won. Maybe it was the old avatar didn't care for his press, a clever trap perhaps , or maybe he just wanted to get away from it all and wanted to fake his defeat, I'm not sure. It had everyone fooled I might add. Even the old high Cleric of Rawk, the guy before your grandfather. ". noted the knight.

"Sir Roland. ", added Nymk.

"Yeah that dick. He recruited a bunch of us to get revenge for his god's defeat, not realizing he actually won. We went up north and were thoroughly stomped when we got there. Although Ogremoch was imprisoned in ice, that didn't stop him from summoning hordes of giant elementals to attempt to free him. Now..I always thought you need rocks to summon them forth, but apparently Ogredude was able to call them with some difficult magic .", explained the knight.

"Calling versus summoning. Yeah I vaguely recall those rules from my mother. ", noted Sarin.

"Well after being unsuccessful in freeing their lord, the elementals hatched a plan that if they could get enough stone on the iceberg, Ogremoch could draw upon their strength or something. Seemed like a decent enough plans for a bunch of rocks to think of , but the problem was transporting rocks to the iceberg. Everytime they left the iceberg they would sink, and would have to walk on the bottom of the ocean. Which is fine for leaving the place, but since rock men can't swim it was impossible to get back to the iceberg. ", continued Frank .

"The frost giants, the frost giants can create ice bridges. I recall from my days as a Bride of Boryis, that they had unique ice shaping magics. Possibly access to some sort of artifact that possess such power. That could connect the iceberg to a source of stone.", replied Nymk as the connection dawned on her.

Frank blinked at the short woman in surprise. He then leaned over to Sarin. "Wow...she's good. ", he whispered with approval.

The crab knight nodded to the swordswoman and continued once again. " Yeah , the rocks figure that out too, and started attacking the giants relentlessly. I guess rocks are pretty bad at negotiation, or giants are big pricks. Whatever the reason a terrible war , almost as great as the third year halfling war erupted. The giants were on the losing side, and abandoned their lands and ...tadah...moved to ours. At this time, your Grandfather , my best buddy Fetch, formed our own expedition to find out what was happening. We did ok, but this horrible ice covered log over a chasm , stopped us in our tracks. It sounds lame, but trust me ...you don't want to mess with this ice covered tree stump. "

Sarin was about to inquire further but Galatea broke her silence. "Just trust him on this one. You do not want to mess with this log. ", the sword simply stated.

"Yeah..bad log...horrible memories. While we did escape, we did find out that the elementals had succeeded in recovering the artifact they were after. Some super orb of storms, or winter orb or something. Fortunately for us , they hadn't returned it to the glacier , or perhaps they were unable to unlock it yet. We were about to find Erland and get some help, but a large band of my order and tribe had followed the elementals to try to score some easy loot. The orb wasn't the only thing they plundered apparently. Ymir ...our dwarf by the way...thought a quick strike with our reinforcements would more likely succeed then a larger force against a fortified opponent. We debated it for awhile, but we decided on her way, since she is a mercenary commander, and is also very pushy. ", sighed the knight as he closed his eyes.

"...and...?! What happened ?! ", demanded Sarin fearing the worse.

"Well...we did secure the orb, but we knew that the elementals would not stop till they recovered it. The cursed northern lands prevented us escaping from magic, and the orb itself proved impossible to move as well by anything other then mundane means. We tried to destroy it but failed miserable. We divined that only by throwing the item into the eye of Thryme would we rid ourselves of it. The Eye of Thryme ..is a chaos gate of some sort. Similar to the Arc of Fire in Grom, except its linked to Limbo or Pandemonium instead of the fire realms. Now...this sounds like the beginning of some epic three novel adventure filled with halflings and orcs , but it really isn't. The Eye of Thryme is actually quite close to our location , roughly 20 miles away, but the elementals had surrounded us before we could get there. I would have flown to it with Molly my dragon but the winds there are crazy fierce, also the orb gets progressively harder to move the further it gets from the ground. We quickly fortified our positions and repulsed their attacks but they prevented us from reaching our destination in return. I was sent to get the aid we originally sought from Erland before the rest of my comrades and order are overrunned by walking walls...and well...here we are! ", declared Frank as he completed his tale.

Nymk considered his words and was the first to speak. "You realize that even if you reach Grand Champion Erland in time, he is most likely in the political fight of his life right now. Even if he somehow retained his position, the other orders would demand he defend our lands against the exiled giants before he engaged in a foreign campaign. I suspect even as we speak the Order of the Griffon is plotting my lord's political and literal death . I had hoped the Warmaster would be at the great council to lend his support to the Grand Champion, but instead we have tales of other worldly invading elementals. I believe your story and recognize your plight, but it would be quite difficult to convince the other Orders given the recent crisis.", the Emerald Arbiter cautioned.

Frank shrugged, "Hey that's no big deal. Fetch expected this type of shenanigans and heel dragging from the Orders. He knew the giants would tie up their forces. That's why we are headed to Narwhal keep. We're gonna get General Olive and my good buddy Clovis to give us some Grommish Skyship beat down action. I believe Champion Fleur has kept open communications with Baltar's port still open. It won't take long at all to get those flying vessels to our aid. ", declared the Crab champion smugly.

Sarin's heart dropped as he heard the alternate plan. "Umm...the knights recently attacked Grom City. Diplomatic ties has been suspended the last I heard. Any attempt to move a large body of Grommish troops, especially flying troops would add fire to an already tense situation. It could mean a war. ", sighed the paladin.

Frank looked puzzled. He then scratched his head in confusion.

"Frank...grasp my hilt and I will explain it. ", orderd Galatea. The knight nodded at the command and grasped the blade. His eyes blinked rapidly for a few seconds before a scowl appeared on his face. " Well...that certainly fucks things up , doesn't it. ", cursed the knight with a scowl.

* * *

><p>"She's the sniper you know. ", quipped Zax . " Who else shoots black arrows from a concealed position and saves my hide all the time. ", he added as he examined the cabin.<p>

Darwen dismissed the tiefling's notion and constant chattering once again as she continued to search the vessel. After the upper levels of the Sahaugin vessel was secured, the buccaneers and Zax's group began to methodically sweep the vessel . They were primarily there to root out any bands of resistance or traps , but the privateers were also on the look out for any loot they could recover.

"The more we know about her , the more it makes sense. She would fly around on her griffon , probably some sort of invisible stealth griffon , then take her position on a rooftop. She would fire some arrows when needed then vanish into the sky afterwards. ", claimed the tiefling, disregarding the fact that the sniper had slew many griffon knights in the past in the defense of Zax.

The woman they rescued was indeed a princess , one of the Order of the Griffon to be exact. Although most of the Northern Orders had abandoned the notion of a monarchy for that of a merit based system of rule, the notion of bloodlines and heritage still held much weight. Many former noble houses still held much sway in the north. The Order of the Boar was until recently ruled by a chieftan based system, and the Order of the Griffon and Squirrel were still dominated by those of Royal blood.

The tiefling was skeptical at first, since she did not dress or held any symbols of the Griffon Order. She did sport a tattoo similar to the griffon knights they had previously defeated, but that was not enough proof for Zax. The tattoo could have originated from a drunken bet or something similar. The notion that she was a griffon knight had a negative effect on the tiefling's companions though , they still had bitter memories of the run ins they have had with that Order. Even kind and gentle Sharliss had her reservations against Lionsong , the loss of Sarin, Freiki, and Lilithy still weighed heavily on her . Zax on the other hand was annoyed for a different set of reasons.

Zax was perturbed that the Captain's attentions was no longer focused on him. The red headed elf sensed that a princess of the Griffon was a more valuable guest then a Royal Adventurer, even one with such a heroic background as Zax. As the tiefling labored like a common member of the boarding party , Princess Lionsong was treated like ...like royalty aboard the Acheron.

"You would think that if she was waiting to rescue her brother, she would have rushed and freed him at first opportunity. Instead, she's probably sampling fine wines with the captain. ", grumbled Zax to no one in particular wishing he was in her place.

Darwen paused and looked at her companion. She looked shocked , as he finally said something that made sense, and nodded silently in agreement with the tiefling.

"Those of Royal blood of my people would take care of diplomatic matters , and leave their servants to take care of the mundane. Since the boat is secured, it would make sense that peons like ourselves would free her brother, while she enjoys the luxuries of our fickel Captain. This has the effect of not only setting her place of dominance above the common folk, but also to establish the pecking order with her Royal Siblings. ", Isula corrected with a smirk. "Unless of course , there was a good chance of violence. Then the nobles of my people would be eagerly clamoring to meet the challenge. ", she snorted in disgust.

Zax was still wasn't sure what to make of the minature giant. Besides the fact her common had improved greatly from when he first met her, he knew little about Isula. She often displayed traits of her Jotun heritage, but at the same time seemed disgusted by them. The tiefling shrugged and wondered if he would lose his stateroom to the sniper.

"Over here! ", shouted Sharliss , breaking Zax's concentration.

The tiefling, giant and elf quickly hurried with weapons at ready at the priestess's beckon , but were relieved to see her tending a large group of sickly prisoners. The priestess was busy administiring her magic to the rescued villagers, as many of them seemed to be malnourished and beaten.

"Thank you..thank you...", gasped a tall old man weakly . Despite his wasted appearance there was a hint of nobility to him.

Zax was well accustomed to be hungry and starving when he grew up on the streets of Lower Lueders, and uncharacterisically bent down and shared with the man a muffin he had saved from the Captain's table earlier. "Eat slow... not too fast. ", he cautioned as the senior devoured the gift.

As the tiefling searched for more sustenance to divy out he noticed a large urn with strange markings on it. Although Zax did not speak infernal, the language of the hellish pit, the tiefling instinctively knew the symbol's origin. As he stared at that unusual urn, he felt something pull him towards it. Not his tiefling curiosity, but something baser, something more akin to hunger.

Zax examined the large container , forgetting the old man he was aiding, and noted it was made of some sort of unrefined iron. It was sturdily constructed and had a heavy lid wrapped with a tarp, sealing it. The tiefling stared at the hypnotic urn and then realized it was the scent of the object. Although Zax enjoyed fine dining, he never considered himself a coniseur of food . He attributed his thin physique to his inability to get worked up about food. He ate to live, instead of living to eat, like certain half elves he knew. The urn before him however conjured some dark desire in him, that caused him to salivate madly . Without hesitation the tiefling cut the tarp sealing the container and lifted the heavy lid.

"ZAX ! NO! " , shouted Darwen , but it was too late.

Zax peered into the urn and a wave of shock struck him. Inside was a writhing mass of what appeared to be worms with crude humanoid heads. They squirmed and twisted atop each other and seemed to wallow in their own filith . The tiefling thought he was going to throw up at the sight, but curiously all he could do was drool hungrily at the disgusting little creatures.

Darwen walked up to Zax and shook her head . "Luckily for you , this urn isn't completely full to the brim. The last thing we need now are demonic larvae crawling all over the place. ", explained the elf as she lifted the heavy urn lid .

"Nooo...we aren't larvae...we are ...umm...baby nagas! ", said a small shrill voice. The elf and tiefling looked towards the urn and saw two of the rough humanoid headed worms peeking above the lid of the urn. "Please free us! ", begged the filthy creatures.

"Baby nagas huh? Well you can't fool me. I've battle a naga recently, and let me tell you , you guys ain't nagas. ", scoffed Zax towards the dejected looking larvae.

Darwen nodded in approval as she placed the lid back onto the urn, then used her magic to reattach the tarp and sealed the container up again. Zax felt a pang of hunger as the elf finished locking the container. He had the urge to stab one of those creatures like a kebab and ...to his horror ...eat it.

"Filthy disgusting creatures. ", spat Darwen in revulsion .

"You called them larvae. Larvae of what? Do they grow into demon butterflys or something ? ", asked Zax . The tiefling was mainly curious if they would grow into a more appetizing looking creature .

"Larvae are hard to explain. Consider them proto demons. The creatures are product of evil souls that end up in the abyss. There are countless numbers of them in the dark pit , and they either grow into minor demons, or in some cases combine spontanously to produce a more powerful creature. ", said the elf with disdain.

"They are also used as currency in the lower realms. Even though they grow in the abyss, many forms of evil outsiders use them as a form of trade. Notably Night Hags and Yugoloth mercenaries. ", added Isula as she picked up the urn and shook it. A chorous of muffled screams came out of the sealed container, much to the delight of the minature giant.

"Trade? ", the tiefling asked eagerly. Zax's interest was definetly piqued now. Anything regarding profit, became instantly interesting to the tiefling.

Darwen nodded but deferred to Isula for a more detailed explanation. Before the minature giant could explain, Sharliss wandered towards the trio and saw the urn . "Ohh..Larvae !", she said happily. "Uncle Baalphzon loved to eat them, but I was never daring enough to try it. It just seemed wrong to eat something that is...sentient. Both uncle Baal and Aunt Dahana assure me they are delicious though. ", the priestess explained.

"Barely sentient. ", corrected Darwen .

Isula scowled to her companions and they fell silent. "As I was explaining to Zax here. They are a cornerstone of trade. On the prime worlds they use mainly gems, gold , silver for commerence. On the outer planes though, they use residum , astral diamonds, and ...larvae. Sure they trade in gold and gems as well, but the value of base metals fluctuate , while the price of larvae is generally consistent. Even merchants that don't have a hint of fiendish blood would trade in larvae, unless of course you are on one of the upper planes. From Sigil to the City of Brass, a bag full of larvae can get you further then a bag full of gold. ", noted the minature giant.

"So...what are these guys doing with them. Err...were they going to eat them ?", asked Zax as he began to drool at the thought of a larval feast.

"Perhaps, but most prime races can not stomach such a feast. Creatures of the lower planes though have noted they are quite tasty. Most likely they have them to power their dark magics, also, like I mentioned before, they have them for trade with whatever dark forces they have allied with. I might note that only the most degenerate of evil races on the prime use Larvae for trade. Namely mindflayers, _ixitxachitl_ , aboleth, the old drow empire, and of course ..our old friends the sahaugin. ", extrapolated Isula.

As Zax processed this information, a loud bending of metal and snapping of chains could be heard. The tiefling froze, but Darwen immediatetly interposed herself between Zax and the source of the disruption.

"Me free now ? Me tired of being caught...wanna smash smell fish men. ", said a large beast of a man as he effortlessly destroyed the chains that held him. The tiefling recalled he was one of the first prisoners they rescued earlier, and assumed they brought him down here to be processed , with the rest of the loot. The hulking man, was recognizable as human, but barely. He looked more like some shaved giant snow ape to Zax, then the prisoner he obviously was.

The large brute paused and sniffed the air, especially towards Isula. "Giant! Giant bad! Me smash giant! ", he declared as he picked up a bar from his shattered cell. Isula smiled at the challenge and readied her bladed staff , but Sharliss quickly intervened.

"We are not enemies here. Lower your weapon Isula...", the priestest commanded. Reluctantly the minature giant replied. "You too..Sir ? ", asked Sharliss.

"Me IceClaw. Yuu purty , like sistah. Me do so. ", the brute replied.

The bucanneers , prisoners, and especially Zax all gave a sigh of relief . The battle would have been one sided , but due to the narrow confines of the vessel and the obvious power Iceclaw possessed, the crew of the Acheron would have have taken casualities for sure if a fight occured.

After the initial incident, Iceclaw seemed quite responsive to orders and almost seemed jovial at the situation. Sharliss had given him some of her own food, and the big brute seemed to have taken an immediately liking to the priestess , as if a hungry dog would to a man that fed it scraps.

The ship was quickly looted and scuttled as the Acheron once again began its trip towards Narwhal hold. Lionsong and her brother were reunited, but the griffon princess acknowledged him but did not seem overly eager to see him. Zax was just glad that the captain hadn't kicked him out of his stateroom for her new guests.

"Those two don't seem that close. ", commented the tiefling as the Acheron's noisy engines churned to life. Darwen and the tiefling stood on the deck of the vessel as it sped once again to its destination.

"I think they are closer then you think. Princess Lionsong seems cold, but she did stay hidden to aid her brother when she could have taken an opportunity to escape instead. ", refuted Darwen.

Zax nodded and grasped her hand. "You know that last couple days with the Captain...", he started but the elf simply smiled and nudged closer to him.

She gave a light kiss and a nod. "I know...I also know it would serve your appearance better if you had a jealous lover. The captain seems to be the type of person that feeds on that type of drama. ".

Zax grinned as he held Darwen closer. He moved in to kiss the elf but was rudely interrupted by a large hand.

"ORANGE MAN! ORANGE MAN! Me smash orange man! ", declared Iceclaw with a dazed look as he suddenly pushed the elf to the side and bear hugged Zax. Darwen flew against the railing and appeared to have been stunned by the unexpected attack. Zax was shocked at both his predicament and the fact the large brute had somehow snuck up on both Darwen and himself.

"Wait...you have the ...wrong guy. I'm Zax...", gurgled the tiefling as the life was squeezed out of him.

The large brute looked even more puzzled then Zax though possible. He sniffed the tiefling and wriknled his nose before dropping him onto the hard deck. "Zax? Me killed Zax already. Me squish his head. You still have head. You not smell like Zax. He smell tough...like a house ...like paint...you smell like flowers...like a woman. ", Iceclaw snorted.

Zax wheezed and tried to recover his breath, but the large hand once again grasped his shoulders and lifted him up so he was standing again. He handled the tiefling roughly but at least in a helpful and non aggresive manner.

"Me sowwy, for trying to squish other Zax. ", replied the brute as he went to help Darwen. The elf had sufficiently recovered and was already up on her feet. Her blade was drawn , and it seemed her spells at the ready, but she wisely did nothing to provoke the large simpleton.

"It's alright . You won't be the first griffon knight that has tried to kill me. ", smirked Zax with a swagger.


	55. Chapter 55

King Frostreaver brought his cane down onto Jarl Darkaxe's skull. A loud audible crack was heard in his makeshift long hall as the giant chieftain fell back from the blow.

"You know ...", wheezed the giant King. "I don't really care if you lost a long ship of warriors...or that the tribute from your raids is minor at best. Those things you can't control. What , with all the sea serpents and strange mists this area is known for, I am surprised you didn't lose two ships. Also, we can't really determine what goods you plunder can we ? It could be gold, or food...or bales of straw for all we know. Humans are a diverse people and they often produce nonsensical items. ", Frostreaver stated as Darkaxe slowly recovered his wits on the ground.

"However...I am concerned with your tardiness. The other long ships had returned days ago, and you just recently pulled into the harbor. Our entire invasion depends...on the sacrifices you have captured. Unless you have a decent excuse...that is unforgivable. ", glowered the ancient giant.

Darkaxe wasn't sure what his King meant about sacrifices. He instead attempted to escape his situation and tried to think of a lie , but decided it was best to hold his tongue. Anyone of his warriors could betray and supplant him if they chose to and the Jarl knew his situation was precarious. "I take all the blame for this incompetence. ", the Jarl said humbly.

Frostreaver stared down at Darkaxe and his eyes narrowed. "Know this. Your head would be on a pike right now, and your body feeding the linnorms under normal circumstances. However, I need you and your infamous Krigare warriors for the coming conflict. I will give you a chance to redeem yourself , on the front lines of the upcoming battle. If you survive, your honor will be restored in my eyes. ", stated the king.

Jarl Darkaxe bowed deeply and left the makeshift great hall in haste. The chieftain thought his King had aged a hundred years in the last few months, the strain of their defeat and exile had weighed heavily on him. Regardless of his appearance, King Frostreaver's strength had not diminished one bit as the heavy bruise on his head was proof of it.

"Oh Darkaxe..one more thing. I will not be so merciful if I even hear even a wisp of a rumor that you are dealing with the Sahaugain again. ", threatened the king with an ominous smile.

* * *

><p>"Sir Jurgen...you know I do not enjoy being disturbed , especially at night. I hope for your sake you bring to me important news . ", asked Lord Felwind . The Griffon Champion knew full well that he did, but enjoyed making his subordinates squirm.<p>

"Yes my lord. ", stammered Jurgen. " Your son Stormfeather has recovered from his ..less then successful... skirmish . There is still no sign of your other son Iceclaw or your daughter Lionsong. Also.. Also your seers, shamans, witch doctors or whatever you want to call them, they bring dire portents . " , continued the knight as he broke out in a nervous sweat.

Felwind raised an eyebrow inquisitively. He did not care much for his children but news from his seers was important. "Have they now. It must be very dire indeed if they risk your life so casually to bring me this message in the middle of the night. Please continue. ", the Griffon Lord stated as he reached for his saber. Felwind found himself intrigued at the nature of the statement and morbidly amused at the way Sir Jurgen shifted nervously .

Sir Jurgen's heart jumped to his throat, but he quickly regained his composure. He gritted his teeth and relayed the message, regardless of the possible fatal consequences. " My lord , I will get right to the point. Your diviners have told me that they think it prudent that you abandon your claim to become Grand Champion through the council vote. ", the knight replied as he closed his eyes and awaited the fatal blow.

Felwind's eyes narrowed but he took no immediate action. A tense silence filled the room as the Griffon lord sat in deep thought. "Explain. I'm sure they have more to say then just "Abandonn my designs. " ",stated Felwind slowly.

Jurgen nodded, "They did indeed, but I'm not 100% sure what to make of it. Something about the Abomination will arrive, and the Lion turning from their path. Also something about a great storm. A literal not a figurative storm . I might also add that they foresaw your anger, and asked me to decimate them at random to save you thr trouble. ", the knight replied nervously.

Felwind scowled. He had hoped to execute 1 in 10 of them personally, but he supposed that Jurgen had saved him the time and effort. The diviners he had enslaved, binded, and forced to work for him had never been wrong. Their divinations were always correct and they did not attempt to warp their words or to confuse the Griffon lord. They had learned a long time ago , much to their suffering, that Felwind did not tolerate it when they attempt to twist their prophecies. The griffon lord considered killing the knight messenger as well, but decided against it. If he was to lose his chance to become Grand Champion , then he would probably need to consolidate his forces.

Felwind understood completely that if the abomination, that his children failed to capture , had come to the north to bear witness against him, then the council would swiftly turn against him. Regardless if he had actual evidence or not , the Champions of the North would harbor their suspicions against his order. He would normally send his son to duel such an upstart , but the fact that he had evaded capture and caused his forces to suffer so greatly during their raid, gave Felwind pause to such an outcome. The Griffon lord cared not if his son was slain, but it would bring great shame to his house and Order if he was defeated by a mere half elf in front of all to see. He could challenge the abomination himself, but he was the Warmaster's grandson. Felwind knew that retribution from the Warmaster or one of his equally deadly allies would soon follow. The Griffon Lord knew their wrath would be terrible, but such was the risk of acquiring a suitable hostage from them.

News that the Snowlion might not support him caught the Felwind by surprise , but was now wholly unexpected. The Griffon lord disdained the use of allies , and knew that in the end , he could only trust the members of his own order. He suspected he would have to betray his allies eventually , but was impressed that the Snowlion did so before he did. Regardless of the reasons of her withdrawal of support, Champion Kalinka had earned Felwind's ire but also his respect. He would give her a swift death as a reward .

"Sir, your orders?", Jurgen asked , interrupting the Griffon Lord's thoughts.

Felwind scowled once again but he knew what to do. "You are dismissed for now. Prepare our troops for travel. We will depart soon after the council, but I must conclude our affairs there first. ".

"Yes sir. ", replied Jurgen as he breathed a sigh of relief and left the tent.

The Griffon Lord raged . He was so close to his goal , just to have it snatched away for him. Even without the Lion's support he might have been able to succeed in the vote. He had discussions with the Elf witch earlier and thought there was a good chance he could coerce her to his side. Felwind added the numbers in his head and knew it would be too close and too risky. It would be better to concede defeat and approach this from a different angle. His seer's visions were few and far between but he knew that it was foolish to go against them . He had trusted their guidance in the past and they had rewarded him with a long and bloody rule. Felwind sighed at the opportunity snatched away from him, but he knew his time would come. He would wait another 10 or even 100 to become Grand Champion. He was an old man at the end of an already magically enhanced life, but he knew there were less then savory ways to extend his years. He was a wise and patient man and he knew his time would eventually come. For now though, he was content to make his foes pay and suffer.

* * *

><p>The massive iron vessel drifted slowly into Narwhal hold. They had already changed flags in case the knights harbored any resentment to Grommish vessels, but so far they were unchallenged by the patrolling military ships. The harbor was packed with various water craft from the various ocean going Orders, no doubt for the Great council, but curiously a large berth was open for the mighty Acheron. As Captain Blaze piloted the unique vessel to dock, they were greeted by a tall winged archer and a gaunt robed figure.<p>

"Ahoy. I am Captain Blaze of the Acheron, a free vessel from Barkwark. We bring supplies, and passengers from Grom. Are you the harbor master? ", shouted the elven captain to the odd pair.

"My visions predicted you would come, and I prepared your docking berth. Your paperwork has been taken care of already since I have little time. I need to talk to one of your passenger's immediately! ", shouted the robed elf in a commanding voice. Upon closer inspection the captain noticed that the robed figure had the feature's of a half elf, but looked more like a lean and stern human. It was an odd combination compared to her own jovial hefty half elven buccaneers , but she chalked it up to Northern poverty. The winged archer beside her though was a breath taking sight. She looked like a scantily clad warrior angel, but from the Captain's vast experience she knew she was of the infernal fallen variety. She wondered how the pair before her seemed to have the run of the harbor, especially in a land where demons and devils were routinely put to death , and elves driven out of their homelands.

The captain wondered which of her passenger's she was referring to. "Do you wish to speak to Royal Adventurer Zax? He did not plan on coming to shore, but I will tell him he is expected . ", she asked. Blaze thought that the infernal Eriynes next to the half elf might be seeking a fellow fallen creature such as Zax. She still wasn't sure why the devil woman was allowed free reign in the city , but guessed she would find out soon.

"Zax? Who the hell is that? ", asked the half elf in confusion.

The captain pondered further. Maybe they used divinations and saw that she was escorting both a Griffon Prince and Princess. That made sense since Lord Felwind was known to traffic in the dark arts, who better to have an infernal serving him then the feared Griffon Lord. Captain Blaze found Lionsong delightfully engaging company and the paired talked briefly about mutually beneficial alliances, while the brutish Iceclaw seemed to be happy to follow the annoying Zax around. The captain tired of the tiefling quickly especially after she observed he seemed to favor his student's company over her own. " The Princess Lionsong and Prince Iceclaw are ready to be received. ", she shouted again.

"Lionsong...Iceclaw ...Are they suppose to be important? ", mumbled the half elf audibly.

The infernal archer leaned in and whispered something into the confused half elf's ear and a hint of recognition appeared. "Nah, we don't want those two, although I'm sure their presence in the Griffon Camp is required. I'm looking for a really small girl. .about waist high...light blue hair...cute as a button...seldom talks...", the robed half elf began but was interrupted .

The black haired lady Sharliss appeared suddenly out of thin air, surprising even the magically attuned captain. "Surry! Dahana ! ", cried the young woman almost in tears as she ran forward and hugged the pair.

The half elf seemed almost as shocked as the captain at the young girl before her. The lady Sharliss definitely did not look like what was described. "Hush? Is that you? Oh my...I knew you were aging fast...but you've grown a lot. ", stammered the robed elf in surprise. She gently pushed Sharliss back and gazed at the beaming girl . She took in her appearance fully but her eyes settled on her bust. "Wow...you've really grown. ", she noted with a hint of jealousy.

"Why are we here? I thought Darwen and I was going to sail off with Captain Blaze. I could be killed in an instant by any one one of these big , armored, well armed men. ", noted Zax nervously as he followed the half elf named Surry and Sharliss .

"Yeah, why is he here? He's a scrawny tiefling and...well he looks more like a carriage driver that I once knew rather then a big scary warrior that I heard so much about. Also, I know you love to see new stuff Hush..err Sharliss, but why are you here as well? It could be dangerous. ", added Surry. Zax looked at the half elf, and thought she did look familiar as well but shrugged it off. He had met many people during his carriage driver days and knew it might have been a possibility he accepted her as a passenger once.

"Listen , both of you. Captain Blaze said she has a change of plans, most likely from discussions with Princess Lionsong. Zax is the legitimate Champion of the Husky , and he is required to attend the Great Council. I am here because I am the daughter of the Warmaster. I was hoping to meet father and tell him of Sarin's disappearance but sadly he isn't here. I am here to represent his interests. ", stated Sharliss bitterly. Surry cringed at the mention of Sarin, she had heard the rumors already but despaired when they were confirmed by her sister.

"I am a daughter of the Warmaster as well , you know. I am perfectly capable of representing his interests and defending myself . ", responded Surry. Zax noted the emphasis on defending and he hoped no one would challenge him to go into the pit, especially without Darwen or Isula nearby to fight in his stead.

Sharliss smiled and hugged her sister. "I know , but your relationship with father and Brita has been mostly kept private . Not everyone knows, for fear it would seem their interests would be compromised. I ,on the other hand, am a more public face for the fearsome warmaster. One who seemingly has no vested interests in the affairs of the knights other then her own well being. ", responded the priestess with a smile.

Surry threw her hands up in defeat. "Same ole Hush . She always had a way with words. Could always convince Fetch and Tyris to let Freiki run around the house or get Sarin to relax her curfew. ", she noted with a playful smile.

Zax snorted at the girly talk. He wasn't sure if the priestess was an actual sister to Sharliss. She was clearly an ugly looking half elf, and from his recollection , this Fetch person was a human. He guessed she was close to 70 and he was in his mid or early 20s. That obviously did not match chronologically . Sharliss was easier to explain since she was a tiefling like himself. From the talks he had with her, that he still remembered, she was about 7 or 8 . That was rare but not unheard of for tieflings to age very rapidly or slowly. Zax shuddered as he remembered her mother was some sort of darkness in the shape of a woman. That of course explained Sharliss's fiendish bloodlines.

* * *

><p>"Hold! It is bad enough we accept foul elves into the tent of the Great Council, but a tiefling? ", shouted a large griffon knight. Shouts of "Go Sir Jurgen ! Dirty tiefling! " and Grommer go home! " could be heard from the crowd he was pandering to. "I am surprised no one has challenged you yet, but if I am the first to do so ..then so be it! ", the man shouted to his audience.<p>

"He is under my protection. Back off whelp. ", declared Surry as dark energies flowed into her hands.

"Ahh...Erland's little bitch. If you wish to slay me with your black magic then so be it. However, isn't this man suppose to be the Champion of the Husky. Does he need to hide between a gaunt abomination for his own protection! ", laughed Jurgen. Zax noted that a congregation of other knights nodded at his speech. The tiefling quickly knew it was a scripted confrontation. He guessed that it was an attempt to bait Sharliss's sister to cost her support in this vote or something. The tiefling wasn't sure the exact reasons for the vote, but he hated to be a pawn .

"I've killed over a score of Griffon knights already , one more is nothing. ", said Zax with a heroic swagger. Zax immediately regretted his showmanship and wondered if he could retract his words. The tiefling wondered how he could make this work. His gut reaction would be to say he is tired from his long trip and would fight this Jurgen fellow tomorrow. Giving him plenty of time to scurry back to the Acheron and hide. His other option was saying this Jurgen fellow was not worthy to fight him, and had to prove himself by defeating his student. He was sure Darwen could best this man, despite her previous loss to Albin. Zax would be sure to load her up on stone skins, and other questionable magics to even the odds.

Jurgen smiled at the challenge. "So be it. ", he said as he drew his blade. Zax's eyes grew wide. They were suppose to exchange witty insults and set a time for a duel, not start a brawl right away. He scanned at the expressions of the knights around him, and saw they were shocked as well. Everyone knew they were to settle their differences in the dueling pit, not a brawl out in the open. Zax saw that the griffon contingent did not seem worry , and guessed this Jurgen was simply a sacrifice to provoke their political enemies. Whatever the out come of this melee, win or lose, they would come out the winners.

"ORANGE NOT ZAX ! HIM FRIEND! ", roared a massive creature that lumbered its way to Zax and Jurgen. The massive beast simply pushed Jurgen aside with a simple palm , and sent the knight flying into the ground. It then grabbed Zax and squeezed him with a mighty bear hug.

"Down ...down Iceclaw. .. ", squeaked Zax as his ribs were slowly crushed. "I have ..I have a snack for you. ", begged the tiefling.

At the mention of snack, the burly Griffon Prince dropped the tiefling to the ground and waited patiently to be rewarded. Zax recovered his breath and pulled out some small tarts he bought from one of the many vendors at Narwhal Hold. The bestial Iceclaw happily began drooling as the tiefling threw them up in the air at him. With a quick gulp, the monstrous humanoid caught them with his vast maw.

"Prince Iceclaw...you should ..get back and ...let me handle...this demon. ", gasped Sir Jurgen as he struggled to his feet.

Iceclaw's happy expression turned dark, as he grabbed the wobbling knight and slammed him into the ground with one hand. "ZAX FRIEND! NO FIGHT ZAX! OR ME EAT YOU! ", he roared . Jurgen of course didn't hear a thing, as he was rendered unconscious by the mighty blow. The rest of the knights that had gathered, quickly dispersed . They knew that the bestial Griffon Prince was not making an idle threat.

"A shame. I was hoping for some practice. ", declared Zax as he seized upon the turn of events.

"Well done. Well done. Perhaps I can ..practice ..with you later. I've heard much about your exploits Sir Zax. ",replied a handsome young knight approaching from the Griffon contingent.

"Brudder! ", declared Iceclaw. The massive warrior turned to the clapping knight, but the newcomer simply pointed outside. Iceclaw drooped his head in disappointment and simply left at his brother's command.

"Your attempts at baiting my companions are very crude and transparent. ", stated Sharliss unimpressed . "If you desire a fight with the mighty Zax , you can have one after the Great Council. You will not hurt his standing in the council with an unsanctioned melee. " , the priestess said as she interposed herself between Zax and the knight .

Zax of course wanted nothing to do with any type of fight, sanctioned , duel, or unsanctioned. He just wanted this over quickly so he could scramble back to the ship and sail away with Captain Blaze and Darwen. He knew the two elves did not get along and expected some sort of drama, but that was infinitely better then death by crazed angry knight.

The newcomer's eyes grew wide at the sight of the beautiful dark haired priestess. He bowed graciously with a flourish before her. "Ahh you must be the Warmaster's daughter . I've heard much about you , but I must admit the reports of your beauty do not do you justice. I am Prince Stormfeather of the Order of the Griffon, and I apologize for the actions of the over exuberant Sir Jurgen. I can assure you that we do not wish conflict, in fact I wish to thank you for rescuing my sister and brother from the clutches of the Sahaugin. ", declared the Griffon Prince .

Sharliss blushed at the attention, but was interrupted by Surry. "Ok..fun times over. You can get lost Stormfeather...You ain't foolin anyone with your honeyed words. If I was a bit more ruthless I would have placed both your siblings into stasis when I saw them and exchanged them for Sarin. I'm not a backstabbing little weasel though, but do not tempt my ire by threatening my allies again. Next time you try to pull off this Jurgen crap, I'm gonna rain fire, lightning , meteors and comets down on your camp. Screw political posturing. C'mon Zax , Sharliss...our seats are getting cold.", threatened the angry half elf.

The trio continued to their seats into the Great Council. Stormfeather simply smiled as he gazed upon the backside of the sauntering Sharliss. "We will meet again. Very soon. ", he grinned.

* * *

><p>Grand Champion Erland had fought many battles . Everyone he faced with grim determination and the knowledge he was to be victorious. He was one of the few men that had fought against the Great Squirrel and survived. It was an epic battle, which was celebrated by many ballads in his honor. It was said that no bards worth his salt in the north , was without his own version of an Erland versus the Squirrel tale. He also faced down the Gnoll Horde lead by their god Yeenoghu. Even outnumbered 5 to 1 the might Grand Champion did not flinch. Even in his youth, he once fought a small army of ogres threatening to destroy a band of mercenaries. He was but a boy back then, but his courage did not waver. The results of the battle were mixed, but the young warrior was still triumphant in the end. Erland was not victorious in every battle but he faced them all with the absolute conviction of victory. Today however, his belief wavered.<p>

Even with the Snow Lion's defection from the Griffon Camp, he was not assured of victory. He heard another elector knight had arrived last night, but this just threw more oil on the fire. His wished his arbiter Nymk was at his side, she was better at political maneuverings then himself, but he sent her off on an idealistic mission to protect the electors to the south. From his tally, the Snow Lion, Narwhal and Boar votes were still up for grabs. Most of the minor orders supported The Ice Griffon , while the Mammoth were clearly in his enemy's camp. His situation was a lot better then a week ago , but the vote was still in Felwind's favor.

His only clear support was from Tree Keeper Surry. Many whispered that she would turn on him once he lost his ability to protect the Snow Elves , but the Squirrel Champion knew better. He only met the woman briefly , but it felt like he had known her all his life. He knew she was not the type of person to abandon her allies. A trait that he shared, and gotten him into trouble more then once.

Erland half hoped that it would come to head by some form of duel or battle. Preferably between Felwind and himself, or possibly Stormfeather and himself, but the Grand Champion knew that such a battle would be self defeating. The real enemy of course was the giants and they had wasted enough time ignoring them. The last thing they needed was to lose more great warriors to petty internal conflicts. If he was to voted to be voted down, Erland would reluctantly accept it.

They had wasted enough time with minor squabbles and laws . The time for action was now. Erland took a deep breath and began the final phase of the Great Council. "We shall commence the vote of the vacant position of Silver Champion, and later determine who shall be Grand Champion and lead our forces to victory against the giants. ", he shouted loudly.

A vast chorus of approval was heard in the tent, and for a second Erland felt immense pride. He hadn't felt this unity between them since they defeated the Great Horde. Knights of different backgrounds, and political affiliations all agreed on something. He wished that it wasn't for the fact they wanted him gone.

A spokesman for the Griffon stood up suddenly, and the gathering of knights fell silent. Erland expected the knight to demand that the Grand Champion vote would occur before the Silver Champion selection, but the man surprised everyone in the tent with his declaration. "The Great Hunting Bird wishes to withdraw his claim to the title of Grand Champion. ", he exclaimed.

Angry roars, and demands for an explanation filled the tent. Even Erland found himself overwhelmed by the confusion. He gazed at Felwind and saw that he had indeed conceded the title of Grand Champion, but the old warrior seemed to revel in the current leader's inability to control the chaos.

" Calm down ! Calm down ! No need to get all your panties bunched up, but the life of the party is here ! ", shouted a rather flippant warrior with a commanding ringing voice. His almost supernatural presence brought the confusion to a halt as the massed knights stared at the interloper. He was dressed like a typical knight but in the familiar white and blue tabard of the crab. "It took a while, but good ole Frank is finally here! Hey where's the open bar? ", questioned the warrior.

"The Champion of the Crab ! We are certainly blessed, if even the most lackadaisical of warriors decides to attend the Great Council. ", said Champion Fleur sarcastically.

Frank looked at the Narwhal leader and scratched his head, " What's your name again? Flour, Flower or something? Anyways I was delayed...cuz I was saving all your butts, battling giants with the Warmaster. ", he declared triumphantly.

"Father! ", gasped a young woman who sat next to Tree Keeper Surry. Erland gazed at the woman and didn't recognize her. Her expression was honest though, and he wondered if his elven ally had political pawns under her control that he was not aware of.

Frank gazed at the woman and was lost in the moment. He held his sword up to his ear, and then a look of recognition appeared on his face. "WHOA! HUSH? My gawd...you've...gotten really ...full! errr big! ", declared the knight in surprise. He then held up his sword to his ear again and look of disappointment filled him. " Wow, I would love to chat some more, but back to buisness. I'm sure you guys are all antsy to do some MIxed Martial Arts against some giants, but we have a bigger concern. It seems your problems with the giants is cuz of some super stone guy. The earth lord Ogremoch is attempting to free himself of his prison. The warmaster and most of my Order have already engaged him, but his forces are too powerful. They are under siege right now in the ruins of Frosthaven. They have recovered the means to end this but are unable to do so , due to the army of elementals around them. We just need a few thousand knights to go in there and kick their stony asses. We give the warmaster a hand, then everything falls in place. The earthlord stays in his prison and the giants can get lost and return home. ", the Crab Champion declared once again in his supernaturally clear voice.

Erland suspected it was due to his famous blade Galatea , rather then any leadership or speech training. Regardless of the source of his voice, he noted it in case he needed a field commander in the future.

As the gathered leaders took in the information, the Grand Champion noted that Champion Kalinka nodded to one of her knight commanders. The man rose and and shouted out a challenge. "Why should we believe this man? Our current concern is against the giants, it would be fool hardy to split or forces , or even worse to ignore our immediate threat to chase phantom rock men. "

Frank looked displeased. "Look ...you can send help and save the north, or you can play tag with giants. I have no control over that, I'm not your boss. I do take great umbrage...psst are you sure umbrage is a word... that you doubt my words . I believe it is my right as a Champion of the Crab to duel any man who thinks I am lying. ", responded the knight as he cracked his knuckles

Without even accepting the challenge, the Snow lion knight jumped down to confront the Crab warrior with sword in hand. Frank simply side stepped the blow and stuck his foot out , tripping the man. His maneuver caught the man off balance, and he fell to his knees. Frank then stepped back to his original position, grasped the prostate man's head with both his hands and slammed his knee into his face. A sickening crunch was heard in the tent, as the Lion warrior fell to the ground with a broken nose.

"Next man that challenges me , I whip out my sword. ", he boasted menacingly. The tent fell silent, save a couple of feminine snickers from the crowd. "Errr...not that type of sword. I'm not into gay fencing, but if one of you women want to challenge me to that type of stuff...I'm all into that. Unless of course you really think I'm lying, then I'll have to put you flat on your back as well . Not that type of putting down, but ...well you guys get the point. ", babbled the crab warrior inanely.

Erland held out his hand and the tent fell silent. "Before we decide on our course of action, does anyone wish to challenge for my title? ", the Grand Champion declared. The room fell silent , and some gazes fell upon Felwind. The Griffon Lord simply turned his gaze to Erland and shook his head. The Squirrel champion did notice a small smirk , but accepted his response for what it was. " Excellent. Now we can plan how to face our foes, especially with this new information present. ", Erland declared.

"Hold . ", declared the normally passive Aethulwulf. " I have great respect for the Warmaster and Champion Frank. In fact I saw them both as whelps when they served under my brother Bartog in Mammoth Keep. Despite this, I wish to raise an important point. I believe Frank speaks the truth, but I do question the extent of the damage the elementals will inflict if their leader is free. I suspect that they would consolidate their holdings rather then seek to conqueror the world. Elementals do not operate in such a way. The Great Council was called to deal with a domestic problem, the invading giants. We should take such opportunity to crush these invaders while their flanks are preoccupied with said elementals. We could rid our selves of our ancient foe once and for all. ", the Mammoth Champion declared.

"These aren't regular elementals...they are Evil elemenatls ...Eveeell ...evillll ...EEeeeEEEvvillll... ",emphasized Frank ."EEEVVVVILLLLL. ", he added once again for effect. Erland revised his opinion of the Crab warrior and decided it would probably not be in anyone's interest if he assigned him as a field commander.

"I am well aware of our most pressing matters, but I will not leave the Warmaster out on a limb. His request is for several thousand knights, and I believe we can accommodate that. We can route the giants while we divert our faster warriors to reinforce the Warmaster in ...Frosthaven was it? ", answered Erland decisively.

"Lord Erland, forgive me for interrupting. ", replied Stormfeather. Erland noticed the prince had exchanged words with his father and was immediately suspicious . "It sounds you require speed for this dangerous mission. We are all aware that the Snow Griffon is most suited to such a tactical maneuver, and under normal circumstances we have no problem leading such a daring raid. ", responded the Griffon Knight.

"...however...you have reservations I take it. ", responded Erland already suspecting Griffon chicanery.

"Indeed we do. Everyone here respects the Warmaster, but we do question his loyalties. It has come to our attention, that the man now resides in Grom. The land of cowards and milk drinkers. He also is under the direct employment of the 3rd army. Normally we have no problem with that, since many of our kin has gone south to pursue mercenary work. However...with the recent diplomatic crisis with our imperialistic southern neighbor, I worry that this isn't some Grommish ploy to get us to do the heavy work for them. I have no reservations about fighting elementals but are we fighting for the north or fighting as catspaws for Grom? ", asked the Griffon Prince .

Erland sighed, Stormfeather was correct. He needed the Griffon's speed, "If successfully leading us in battle against a half million gnolls does not convince you of his loyalty . I don't know what will. ", he responded. A slight applause arose in his support, but the Squirrel lord knew that Stormfeather had already planted an effective seed of doubt in the gathered council.

"Since the Warmaster is not here, we do not require any grand quest , a fancy speech , or some elaborate show of loyalty . We will do things the old ways. When two clans or orders mistrust each other, but still needed each others support they had a simple way to solve it. ", smiled the Griffon Prince.

Erland knew what they were angling for and scowled. Even when defeated the Ice Griffon were full of tricks. He wondered how much of this they had prepared, and how much was a spur of the moment manipulation.

"We will pledge our support for the Warmaster if we cement our bonds...with lets say...a political marriage. I heard there might be a relative in question close by. ", smiled the Griffon Prince to Sharliss.


	56. Chapter 56

Darwen never considered herself a scholar. She generally avoided books, unless they dealt with magic or military history. The Narwhal Hold Athenaeum was the last place she would find herself , unless ordered by an officer to retrieve maps or other forms of military intelligence.

"Can I get you any other tomes ? It's refreshing to find anyone interested in the Early Crusades. Most people are distrustful of the elven folk, but I find their curiosity quite enlightening. ", commented the elderly librarian as he brought the elf another pile of books.

"This should keep me busy for now. ", sighed the elf with a forced smile. After they made dock and processed the freed slaves, Zax and Sharliss were whisked away by the Treekeeper of the Ice elves of all people. Darwen had hoped to one day meet the holy woman of her exiled tribe, and was disappointed that she had missed her opportunity. She knew she wasn't invited to the Great Council, but thought Zax could have come up with an appropriate excuse to include her in his entourage. It was bad enough that Zax had abandoned her again , but Sharliss had practically begged her to do some research about Isula. With Sharliss though it was different. She was a friend and had made a request , Darwen of course felt honor bound to fulfill it to the best of her ability.

It was a simple request, to research any information about Isula's history. The miniature giant had little memory of her past, and Sharliss had promised to help her. Unfortunately the priestess had other duties currently, so had asked Darwen to help Isula in her stead. The elf agreed , but felt once again she was relegated to the background.

"Did you discover anything interesting? ", asked Isula nervously. Darwen stared curiously at the giant. Even though she appeared more as a young girl, she often projected the aura of a menacing bloodthirsty warrior. With her ornate spear, and finely crafted heavy armor, most people often bought into her image. Today though, she looked every bit as the youth she appeared to be, as she tentatively waited on the elf.

"Nothing yet, I'll tell you if I find something. " , replied the elf. Isula sighed and slumped back into her . Darwen knew the giant was an incredibly fast learner and had completely mastered the common tongue in only a few months. The written word, especially archaic script was a different story though. Isula could not comprehend the texts in front of her , Darwen noted that few could. She had doubts that even the librarian fully comprehended them either, but due to her training the elf could easily.

The elf despaired at how boring and dry the information was. Even those most of the texts dealt with the history of the early Crusades, most were concerned with supply ledgers and early logistics. Darwen couldn't help but chuckle when she thought that Zax and his military background in the Quartermaster Corp was more suited to sift through this then she was. Once again she repeated the thought that she was relegated to the background .

"My lady. I have one more libram for you . I almost forgot about this tome. It's written in a language I do not understand , so I did not recall it at first. ", said the old librarian as he brought forth a final book. It was a leather bound tome, with a single unkown golden sigil adorning it.

Darwen motioned for him to place it in the pile, but suddenly Isula's eyes grew wide. "I ..I recognize that symbol. ", she said in a small voice. Darwen expected the small giant to reach for the book and examine it, but instead she simply stared at it.

The elf watched the giant transfixed on the book , as she slowly reached out and grabbed it. "Let's see what we can find. ", smiled Darwen.

* * *

><p>"Thank you ...brother. " , gasped Joakim. Halvor looked at his broken brother and knew his time was up.<p>

"We won the fight. Elsif and Mats are safe. ", was all Halvor could think of saying.

Joakim nodded, "Take care of the... I'm sorry. I was wrong ...I was wrong about you. Forgive any...", stated the dying man before he closed his eyes.

Halvor nodded and put his brother to rest. The Crab Clerics and Lady Kania had resuscitated many of the wounded but some injuries were too severe for even them to treat. He glanced as he saw the stubborn Kirgi sitting next to the shattered body of Petrus. Halvor thought both of his companions had fallen, but the resilient dwarf was too tough to kill by a mere giant boulder. The summoner on the other hand , was a different matter. Despite his mastery over the aether and the supernatural , he was still a mortal.

"I am sorry for your brother's loss. ", comforted Kania as she sauntered next to the big knight. Halvor did not expect any consultation from the disguise lamia, but he welcomed her words.

"We had our differences...that was the reason I left home. I wanted to save him when I found out he was captured...but it didn't make a difference in the end. ", Halvor said in an empty voice.

Kania shook her head. "Life is a struggle. We do not always get the chance to die in the way we wish. You gave your brother a chance to die in a way that honors his ancestors. I am sure he would appreciate that. ", replied the shapechanger.

Halvor nodded as the priestess left and the big knight looked at the cowering forms of his sister in law Elsif , his nephew Mats and the remaining surviving villagers. Many of the refugees had taken arms against the giants and fallen, there was no signs of his father. The future was uncertain but he could at least take pride in the fact he tried.

* * *

><p>"Sorry Petrus. ", grumbled Kirgi at the corpse of the dead summoner. "Sorry Adria. ", he added when he recalled the Eidolon was tied to him. Without the Chelaxian mage, he guessed he would never see the stoic ebon woman again either.<p>

The dwarf gazed upon the smouldering giant longship and the giants that the summoner scorched and a smile crept to his lips. "At least he went down fightin. There's a special place saved in Moradin's halls for people who died fighting giants. I'm not sure if that applies to humans, but who knows. Maybe one day I'll meet you in the Soulforger's halls. ", waxed Kirgi.

"It just seems too soon. I wish we could have killed a few more giants together. ", added the dwarf.

Suddenly a cold gust swept the raft. It was a frigid icy wind, but for some odd reason it felt strangely comforting . Kirgi sensed this breeze wasn't natural and scanned for their attacker. He suspected it was the ogre mage, but even with his giant hunting instincts he saw no signs of the creature.

The dwarf noticed several crab knights and refugees pointing at him and he immediately scanned above him , then around him. Kirgi gasped as he saw a visible icy wind flowing around him. It swirled around him several times before wrapping itself around the dead summoner. The corpse hovered from the winds briefly and then it shot off to the west.

Kirgi blinked in disbelief.

"What the hell was that?", exclaimed Halvor.

"I dunno what it was, but it took Petrus's loot . ", scowled Kirgi.

* * *

><p>Surry scanned the Grand Champion's tent. The Council had convened for a break, partially to eat but mainly to digest all that had gone on. Normally it would have only been Erland and his allies , which was sadly only Surry, but today there were a few others .<p>

"What a stupid council...", grumbled Frank. Even though the Great Council had resolved far from the way Surry wanted, the Elven Tree keeper managed to laugh lightly at the Crab Champion's displeasure.

"You didn't honestly think they would elect you as Silver Champion did you? ", teased Surry. " You had about as much chance as becoming Silver Champion ...as ..as Zax over there. ", laughed the half elf as she pointed at the small orange tiefling in the corner . Zax knew he was far over his head and attempted to make himself as small and inconspicuous as possible.

"I thought they picked the strongest guy and nobody's tougher and stronger then me. ", lamented the Crab Champion, then he caught sight of Zax and stared. " Why is that guy orange? Is he really tanned or something? You know , during my extensive travels, I found I burned easily in the sun , but I found that rubbing something called Coconut butter on my skin really helps. You should try that little fella. ", commented Frank. Zax simply nodded and edged nervously away from the fierce warrior.

" Champion Rysk is a formidable warrior, he will make a fine Silver Champion. Also , that's not just a "little fella", that is Champion Zax of the Husky you should speak to him with more respect.", corrected Erland as he fumed and paced around the room.

"Wow...him ...Champion? ", asked Frank clearly impressed.

Erland nodded and returned to his fuming. "I can't believe how cunning and devious those Griffons are. First they throw us off balance by throwing in the towel for their claims for my position, now they want a marriage with Lady Sharliss here. All of course under a thin veil of an undetermined political marriage. ", lamented the Grand Champion.

"How does marrying Sharliss give those guys power. Also, they didn't specifically say anything about marrying one of them. Couldn't she marry a prince of the Snow Lion or Mammoth or something ? ", Zax asked while scratching his head. The tiefling appeared both curious about his friend's fate, and impressed at the Griffon's cunning and subterfuge.

"First off , even though they didn't specify a specific marriage combination, its pretty clear there's only one option. For this political marriage to be effective it has to be between the Champion or perhaps a relative in one of the older monarchy based ones. The Orders of the Snow Lion , Mammoth and recently the Boar are orders which currently determine power by a meritocracy . That leaves the orders of the Narwhal , the Squirrel and Griffon. Despite the lurid rumors between Lady Fleur and his bodyguard I doubt she is interested in taking a wife. Felwind is too withered to take a wife, but his sons aren't. So by my count that leaves only Prince Stormfeather or Iceclaw. Having such a marriage would give him sway over the Warmaster, and cement his alliance once again. ", explained Erland.

"Iceclaw? Ewwww...", commented Zax as he recalled the brutish almost bestial warrior. "Wait ...why can't she marry you. If its just a political marriage , there shouldn't be any problem should there? It would be just in name only right?". the tiefling queried further.

Frank shook his head, but an echoing voice answered instead. Surry knew it was Galatea , but was amused when the tiefling began looking around the room for its source. " The Northern knights have long used political marriages to cement alliance. Many minor orders and knights still use it as a method to maintain peace over this warlike nation. I believe even Champion Erland himself once agreed to a political marriage. Despite the pragmatism of having such an alliance, most knights still believe in a certain romanticism in such a union. They would never agree to a marriage between Erland or Felwind to Sharliss due to their age difference. Of course Lady Fleur is out , regardless of Sharliss's sexual orientation the North is still not progressive enough to accept such a union. ", echoed the voice.

Sharliss sat in silence as the sword explained. There was a blank expression on her face, but Surry knew she was conflicted. It was quite a lot to ask a young girl to marry for the sake of a political alliance , especially to a faction that had attempted to kill her friends recently.

Erland smiled, " I am much too haggard and old for the beautiful young Sharliss. Although in my youth I was often described as quite handsome. ", the champion jested in attempt to cheer up the priestess.

Surry looked at her sister and sighed. " You and I could marry, Snappy . I am a daughter of the Warmaster as well. We are roughly the same age. ", she said timidly to the Grand Champion.

"Nonsense! The fact you've kept your heritage secret, would make it seem more like coincidence or more likely elven trickery , to the other Orders. It would just appear as a desperate attempt by myself to secure my alliances. Even if they did accept it, the Griffon would not and its allies would still be loathe to aid the Warmaster in a foreign campaign. ", snorted Erland and dismissed her notion. Surry was surprised his rejection had hurt more then she thought as she simply returned a weak smile at her "foolish" notion. She told herself silently that she couldn't live in the past.

"Hey ...they know Sharliss's ..umm...special traits don't they? ", asked Zax again. "I thought they can't stand people like us. ", the tiefling added.

"Ummm Grommers? ", Frank asked with a shrug. "No offense , but I can't stand you guys half the time either. It could be worse, at least you guys aren't tieflings or half orcs or anything like that. "

Surry shook her head. Sharliss nodded as she brushed back her dyed black hair and revealed a small twisted horn. "Whoa...she's a tiefling. I had no idea. ", exclaimed the knight in shock.

"Frank speaks the truth. He has absolutely no idea. ", sighed the echoing voice.

"Wait..wait...Ok so Sharliss is a tiefling. You can't blame me for not knowing. Look at her she looks every bit like a young woman. Tieflings are suppose to be...err ugly. No offense. What about that guy? I don't see any horns on him. He's not exactly handsome but not ugly either. ", exclaimed the Crab Champion.

"Yes..I am a tiefling. I thought my skin would make it obvious. ", declared Zax in annoyance.

"Wait...I thought you were just well tanned. Where are your horns?", asked Frank.

"Don't have any.", replied Zax.

"Umm..fangs? ", questioned Frank again.

"Nope. "

"Tail? "

"Nada..."

"Umm..you can shoot darkness right?"

"Err...I can make my skin grow hot. "

"You at least carry a pitchfork don't you!? "

Zax stopped answering and simply stared angrily at the bigger warrior and his incessant questions.

"Zax's lineage is already known by the Great Council. Sir Ivanovic himself confirmed it. I suspect the Griffon know of Sharliss's heritage, even though the vast majority of the Council, including myself till now, does not. I don't think they care, since her traits are easily concealable. Even if it did come out in public, I doubt it would cause that great of a stir. Believe it or not, Zax maybe the first tiefling champion , but he is not the first tiefling knight of the north. For a people that have battle demons for generations, there is bound to be a ...mixture... of blood in some of the houses. I know a few tiefling knights personally and they take great pains to hide their heritage . Some actually grind their horns down, file their teeth, and even amputate their tails and other vestigial limbs. Despite the connotations attached , I find their honor and bravery no less then a human's. I'm sure many others know of a few tieflings hiding in secret in our ranks. I believe that is one of the reason's Zax's appointment to Champion was hardly challenged. Except of course by Sir Jurgen, but I suspect that was more of a political maneuvering then a racially motivated one. ", explained the Champion.

Frank went up to Zax and extended his hand. "Hey lil buddy. No hard feelings ok. I personally don't know any tieflings, and I'll admit I've killed quite a few of you guys in the past. Sorry for making you uncomfortable there. ", apologized the Crab Knight.

Zax nodded and shook the hand back. He was surprised at how strong the knight was. He worked most of his life as a porter and a carriage driver and did not think of himself as physically weak, but his hand felt like it was being crushed by the Crab Champion. Only Iceclaw and his prodigal strength could compare to Frank's grip.

"We could attempt to do this without the Griffon's aid. We still have dragon riders, Eagle mounts, and a handful of hippogriffs and pegasus at our disposal. ", sighed Erland . Surry noted that despite his barbaric nature the Squirrel champion was a brilliant strategist and master tactician on the battlefield, but there was only so much he could do with the resources at hand.

"Frank ...you mentioned earlier that you saw Sarin recently correct? ", asked Sharliss unexpectedly.

"Yeah , not sure why Ol fatty isn't here with you, but he was in the middle of the ocean on a raft. ", confirmed Frank.

"Was there anyone with him?", the priestess asked nervously.

"Errr a really smoking hot chick , about ..yay tall...short blond hair, Nymk or something. ", replied the Crab Champion after giving it some thought.

"The Emerald Arbiter, I knew she would be close. ", added Erland.

Sharliss thought over Frank's statement then her face grew grim.

"I'll...I'll do it. ", stammered Sharliss unexpectedly.

Everyone in the room stopped their conversation and turned to the priestess.

"Father, mother, Ymir, and Frank's people need our support. If a political marriage to the Griffon is what it takes to get aid to them in time, then I'll do it. It's my duty to do so. ", declared the priestess in a weak voice.

"Wait...from what I understand. This Stormfeather guy is a real jerk face. You can't marry him. What about Halvor? ", asked Zax in disbelief.

Sharliss shook her head and smiled. "Hal...Hal is a good friend..but that's in the past. I'm sure he will find someone new in Lower Lueders. I came here to aid Sarin, since Nymk appears to have already rescued him, then I can turn my attention to aiding father. I do this for duty, and if anyone understands duty it would be Halvor. ", the priestess said while suppressing a tear.

Surry shook her head. "No...you don't have to make this sacrifice. The Griffon and the other Western Orders won't abandon our side because of a simple political marriage. It's just that Stormfeather jerk being petty. "

Sharliss shook her head at her sister, and signaled her decision was made.

Erland nodded . The champion fully understood duty as well. "I guess its settled then. She will agree to the marriage in principle, but I suggest we do this after the war to ensure their compliance. Everything is in place except for the blood shed now. ", he declared grimly.

Zax of course didn't want anything to do with bloodshed against giants or rockmen. He knew he would be on the Acheron soon, and sailing to Irendi with Darwen. He simply gave a manly thumbs up and attempted to give the appearance of being anxious for battle.

"Who the hell is Halvor...that name sounds familiar. ", commented Frank with the sword at his side curiously silent.

Surry wept even though her sister didn't. She walked up and hugged the young woman . "I'm sorry. I failed. This burden should be mine not yours. ", she whispered in apology to the silent priestess.

* * *

><p>Darwen grew dizzy as she attempted to translate the text. She was good with old human tongues, but the dialect in this latest book baffled her. Which was all the more frustrating since she was sure they had found the book that kept the secrets to Isula's past.<p>

"The Narwhal Hold Athenaeum will be closing soon.", the old librarian said with a yawn. " Since you have the patronage of the Champion of the Husky , you can take that particular tome for further study of course. I see you are greatly interested in that particular text. ", he noted with approval.

"Thank you sir. Sadly I am unable to make heads or tails of it. ", explained the defeated Elf. Isula sensed her companions failure and slumped her small shoulders. Darwen noted that she had never seen the small giant so lonely or dejected before, and blamed no one but herself for this failure.

The librarian nodded and examined the tome again. "Parts of this are written in ancient Ostlandic...the precursor to the modern Northern Tongue. The later parts are what appears to be old Norwoldic . A very rare language, which sadly I am unfamiliar with. However there is one in town that can help you. ", the old librarian smiled.

* * *

><p>The elf and giant wandered the streets looking for the address they were given. They were an unusual looking pair, but luckily they were small and did not stick out of the crowd. Darwen thought that Zax would be missing her company and she should attempt to seek him out. She was only given vague directions by the dock workers to the elven camp, and hoped she could still find it in the dark . The elf's desire was to seek out her people and, bask in her heritage, but she postponed it to help her friend. She noted that the closer they got to Narwhal Hold and the closer they got to shed some insight into the giant's past, the more timid and nervous Isula had gotten. Darwen smiled and put her arm around the small nervous giant. "Don't worry. It will all turn out. ", she said in the manner of a sister talking to her sibling.<p>

"That's what I'm afraid of. What if I came here because I was a traitor. Or worse a slave. There are so many things I want to know...", stammered the giant ." I really want to know, why it takes me so much effort to become a giant, and no effort to stay small. It should be the other way around. Maybe my memories are more flawed then I believe. Maybe I'm not even a giant. ", the giant admitted with a tinge of fear.

"Nonsense .", replied Darwen, but secretly she wondered about Isula's exact nature as well. Maybe she was a real tall duegar girl. The dark dwarves had the ability to grow to the size of a giant. Isula didn't appear to be dwarfish, but it seemed more likely that she was one rather then a giant.

"Ahh here we are. ", Darwen noted, and dispelled all thoughts of her friend's background. They arrived at a modest manor house with very high walls. The elf noted that the residents valued their privacy greatly. She hesitated before she knocked at the gate and turned to her companion. "Are you sure of this? I know you are nervous, its written all over your face. I don't know if they can provide us with any answers. I don't even know if they are willing to see us. ", stated the elf. Isula took a deep breath and nodded, and the elf knocked at the door.

The pair waited for awhile, but sounds of activity from inside stayed Darwen's hand from knocking again. After awhile the door opened and they were greeted by a tall man with slightly greying hair. He was in his early 40's but still possessed the vitality of youth. The man wore a tabard and was clearly a Knight of the Narwhal. His most interesting characteristic was that the man gazed at them with blank eyes. He was blind.

"Hello. How can I assist you ?", asked the blind knight. Even though he was blind, he turned his head rapidly as though he sensed something off.

Darwen quickly recovered from the shock. She bowed instinctively, despite the man being blind. "We are looking for Lady Rydia. ", she replied politely. The elf noticed there was a woodcutter's axe near the door. The knight hadn't grasped for it but she noticed his hand was ready to snatch it if need be. An impressive feat for a blind man, she noted.

The Narwhal knight paused his quick scanning and frowned . "Is she expecting you? " , he asked as he considered their request.

Darwen shook her head. " No sir. We were sent here by the librarian from The Narwhal Hold Athenaeum . We were told that Lady Rydia would be able to aid us in translating a text. ", the elf replied.

The knight nodded. "Normally I would tell you to come back tomorrow, but Rydia loves anything concerning lores or translations. Forgive my manners . I am Arnborg and Rydia is my dear wife. Dinner is soon, and I will prepare a pair of settings for you. You should come in soon. I sense trouble in the air. ", he added.

"Trouble? ",inquired Darwen curiously.

"I sense giants. ", the knight said ominously.

* * *

><p>The rest of the council resolved quickly. Many of the lesser electors thought it was ironic that it took weeks to settle the minor disputes and duels, but only a few days to elect the Grand Champion. Choosing the Grand Champion was choosing the basis on how to wage the war. Erland could appoint a general, or go to a war cleric for advice, but the final decisions would be up to him.<p>

The other Champions had long retired from his extended planning session. Only the annoying Treekeeper and her small entourage remained, and even they were dozing off.

Erland wasted no time after his reappointment to draw up his plans. He already had rough drafts prepared, but waited to finalize his preparations till after he had a full reckoning of his resources. Most of the major Orders were well represented, the bulk of their strength were ready. Even though many of their number went south for mercenary work, the bulk returned when the call was made. Some of the minor orders did not arrive, and the Squirrel Champion feared the worse. The absent Orders of the Lobster, Seal, and Auk were located near the Giant landing sites, and Erland guessed they were either wiped out or scattered by their ancient foes. There was some hope though, the Orders of the Bat, Caribou and Husky had arrived. Erland had thought they were wiped out during the last victory over Yeenoghu and was relieved when he saw them arrive. Even though they were short in number, the Champion valued courage over numbers.

Erland was particular impressed by Champion Zax. He was a tiefling with no troops under his command, but still arrived for the Great Council. Threats of violence against his heritage or old blood feuds did not seem to deter him. The young warrior saw a battle that must be won and met the challenge head on. There was something particularly inspirational about his courage.

Courageous or not though , the man needed troops if he was to be useful tactically.

As the Grand Champion poured through his plans and maps, a knock came to his tent.

"Sir..Squires Olga and Rollo have returned from their scouting mission. Here is their report. ", replied a guard as he presented a scroll to Erland.

The Grand Champion nodded and scanned the report. He nodded at the thoroughness and dedication of the pair, especially since their old lord Sir Tusk was slain . Erland had taken in the two squires when their old lord was slain by Stormfeather in an honorable duel. Sir Tusk was a respected Knight and a friend, and the Grand Champion owed it to his comrade to finish his squire's trainings. Unfortunately , the Grand Champion's schedule was fairly full and he little time to instruct the pair.

"Hey Snappy. We're heading out. I'll see you tomorrow. ", yawned Treekeeper Surry. She had the emotionally drained Lady Sharliss and the troop less Sir Zax in tow.

Erland nodded, and a smile came to his face. A chance to solve two problems at once should not be overlooked.

* * *

><p>"This giant is really close. Stay close to the wall. Do not make any sudden moves. ", ordered the blind cleric.<p>

Darwen and Isula rolled their eyes. The man clearly detected Isula somehow. The elf wasn't sure how, but suspected he had some sort of supernatural sensing ability. It was a rare ability , but definitely not unique. Darwen had encountered something similar from Master Bladesingers, who were just as deadly when blindfolded.

"It's quite alright Sir. My friend had ...she had battled giants recently. It wouldn't surprise me if their scent rubbed off on her. ", Darwen quickly explained. Isula was impressed with her companion's swift reply and nodded in appreciation to the elf. Darwen was also proud of her spur of the moment explanation , and attributed it to her long association with the absent Zax.

"Very smelly those giants, my lord. They are like walking polar skunks. ", responded Isula sarcastically.

"Sir Arnborg, or simply Arnborg is sufficient. ", replied the blind knight. He skeptically sniffed at Isula and shrugged his shoulders . "The scent isn't strong on her, but it is distinct. ", he conceded.

The pair then followed the knight through his manor. Although he was clearly sightless, he either memorized the layout or he had some sort of hidden sensory capability to help him navigate flawlessly through it.

"Rydia my love. We have guests. ", shouted Arnborg as he entered the main manor building.

"Indeed we do dearest. ", a beautiful and musical voice.

As Darwen and Isula entered the main room, they were shocked at what greeted them. Before them was a woman wearing a full silk suit and veil. Darwen's experience in the Southern campaigns knew it was a burka. Common place in Ylarum and Ethengar but rare up north. Before the woman was an exotically dressed elf floating in mid air. She had a silken veil, and she was adorned with crimson cloths and silks. She wore numerous pieces of delicate jewelry, but they didn't seem out of place or showy. She had a pair of jeweled scimitars at her side that oddly did not look decorative considering her delicate appearance . The bladesinger had never encountered such a creature, but immediately knew it was a Bralanni Azzata or what was more commonly known as an Eladrin wind spirit. Before the pair was a badly mangled corpse.

Darwen wasn't sure what to make of the situation, but Isula responded first. "Petrus? ", she said in shock as she quickly examined the body.

* * *

><p>King Frostreaver the twelfth looked upon his army. They were over 10,000 frost giants, and twice as much auxilary trolls, ogres, and other giant kin at his disposal. Packs of winter wolves, and polar bears were at his disposal as well as a flight of subdued white dragons. A glorious army that would sweep the humans before them. As the giant king gazed upon his magnificent troops, a shadow grew on his face. Despite their might and the artifacts at his disposal , they were only a shadow of their former self.<p>

Centuries ago, the king lead the armies of Frosthaven personally. After his sister was banished, full control of military expeditions were placed in his hands. King Frostreaver the twelfth relished the power and bloodshed, and he made the humans pay at every turn. Eventually though , he got old and tired. Where once violence and fury were in his heart, he saw it replaced with diplomacy and reason. These were no attributes for a Frost giant king, so he abdicated his military role to his children, Frostreaver the Thirteenth and Isula the twelfth. Or more accurately the second Isula the twelfth , since the first was stricken from the record books.

The pair were quite successful in their role and destroyed the enemies of Frosthaven at every turn. King Frostreaver was especially proud that the pair seemed to show a bit of restraint , they never attacked when they didn't need to, and they never overextended their forces, a characteristic he wished he exhibited when he was young. The king regretted his sister's exile, and blamed himself because of it. If he hadn't suggested the initial raid, or if he hadn't interfered with her duel then most likely she would be at his side giving him counsel right now.

As his children grew, there was talk that the Kingdom of Frosthaven was on the rise again. Old enemies were destroyed, alliances were created and the kingdom was secure. Things were looking up , until the earth nation attacked. There was no demands or diplomacy with these creatures, to the King they simply existed to attack Frosthaven. At first it was just a few dozen of the creatures, then hundreds, then thousands, and finally tens of thousands.

During the last several years, his son and daughter had lead the pride of his army against the invading elementals. The pair won several stunning victories over the earthen army at first, but their foe was relentless. Every victory gave the old king hope for peace, but it just delayed the inevitable. The enemy came back stronger and more numerous with each defeat , until finally they were at the walls of Frosthaven. His daughter Isula organized the exit of the city , but she stayed with his son for the final defense . King Frostreaver wasn't sure what exactly happened during those final days, but he did know the city fell , its treasures stolen and his children were slain.

The King mourned for Prince Frostreaver and his sister Isula, but at least they died in heroically in battle. What was more important was that there were several irreplaceable treasures that were lost to them. The Dragon smiting Jotunheim sword, the Ice shattering Horn of Thryme , the Invincible Shield of Midgard, and of course the awesome Celestial Orb of Storms. These Items were the foundations of Frost Giant power, and without them he feared they would soon degenerate to minor squabbling tribes. The only item he had remaining was the warping Axe of the Ice Kings, the staff of Kostchtchie , and the dreaded Horn of the Hafgufa.

The King shook his head, even if he had all the relics they would be useless in a generation. Only the King or his line could wield those artifacts. His children were slain, and he was too old to sire heirs. He shook his head . He wasn't a seer but he could only see a grim future for the once mighty nation of Frost Giants.

"My liege? The sacrifices are ready . ", snarled a Jarl. Frostreaver looked at the young chieftain and wondered if it was defiance of his failing rulership or simply youthful impatience . He had already reprimanded Jarl Darkaxe for his dereliction , and could see small signs of rebellion in his other subjects. It didn't matter though. If his reign would end with him, he was certain to crush the humans and give his people a new home. He had waited till the last of his raiders returned, if for some reason this attack failed then at least his remaining people would have enough provisions to safely scatter . Even if Frosthaven was overrunned and the ability to centralize rule was lost to them, Frostreaver was determined to wipe their ancient foes and provide his people with a new homeland.

"My liege? ", repeated the Jarl again, this time with a bit more eagerness then spite in his voice.

Frostreaver nodded, the long ships had already launched long ago, he needed to coordinate his land forces to match their arrival. He picked up his Warping Axe and split the air before them. A thousand captives wailed in agony . The markings on the slaves seemed to burn their bodies as their life force was drained , feeding the axe's thirst. A dark rift began to grow where Frostreaver had swung the axe and soon a giant sized portal appeared. A shout came from the surrounding giants, and they rushed through the dark tear of reality before them.


	57. Chapter 57

Zax stretch lazily as he greeted the new morning. The previous day was a trying one. He spent half of it trying to make himself inconspicuous , so not to garner attention from any big angry knights. The other half he sat in the corner of Erland's War tent, being bored by politics and inane babbling. The tiefling wanted to just scurry back to the Acheron , hide out in the store room , and sail away with Darwen before anyone noticed he was gone. Sadly , he didn't trust his ability to get to the docks without the head honcho elf Surry's protection , and she seemed to be busy doting on the devastated Sharliss.

Zax heard the pair refer themselves as sisters, but the tiefling couldn't see a family resemblance. To Zax's knowledge Sharliss's father was the young lanky Captain of the guard, and her mother was some dark demoness . He saw no trace of elf blood in either.

Later a beautiful dark haired elf with tattoos came, and she seemed to console the priestess as well. Zax pretended to be sleeping but could hear Surry refer to her as mother. The tiefling thought it made sense then, as they were clearly half sisters. Most likely the Warmaster, which Zax had met once or twice, took the elf as a prize in one of his many brutal campaigns the tiefling thought. Regardless of the bizarre family tree, Zax felt it inappropriate to ask to be escorted to the docks at such a time. Poor Sharliss seemed quite shaken at her voluntary sacrifice , but Zax didn't think it that bad. She was gonna marry into nobility , a prince of an important clan. Sure those guys tried to kill him a few times, but the tiefling didn't hold any grudges . It was bad buisness to do so. Infact, with a friend on the inside so to speak, Zax was sure they could come to some sort of agreement. Zax was always interested in either having his own personal skyship, or perhaps a griffon carriage buisness. He wasn't sure about the logistics or the physics of how that would work, but it always intrigued the tiefling .

As the tiefling got dressed for the new day , he noticed there was no sign of Darwen. It wasn't uncommon for his lovely companion to wake before him and practice her swordsmanship , but Zax saw no signs that she had even entered their assigned tent. Was she in trouble? Was she lost? Zax began to worry , then he noticed he was not alone.

"Ahem. ", said a gruff voice.

Zax saw he had two "guests". A young man in a chain shirt, and an equally young elf in similar attire. The man had light brown hair and a boyish charm to his face. He looked like a typical northern knight save his youthful appearance. The elf was shorter then Darwen and had very pale skin and a bob cut blond hair. Although she possessed a hint of elven beauty, her grim demeanor made her look fairly plain and oddly intimidating.

"Squire Olga and Squire Rollo at your service. ", replied the elven warrior. Zax was about to greet them when he noticed they were wearing similar tabards to the one he sometimes wore.

"Hey...I know that symbol. Knights of the furry dog right? ", smiled Zax as he attempted to chat with the pair. He wasn't sure who they were, but better to get on the good side of armed men and women then their bad .

"Our champion jests. We were both squires under the great lord Tusk , but he was slain in a duel with Griffon Prince Stormfeather. Sir Erland took us in , but had decided to turn us over to you to continue our tutelage. That is if its alright with you sir. He said your Order had no end of courage but was ...lacking in manpower. ", replied the gruff voice Rollo. Zax looked at the young man and thought that despite his boyish almost effete appearance, the boy had a remarkably deep voice. He would make a good announcer at a circus or arena, or maybe a town crier or something.

"Interesting. You guys want to be my squires. Like the old knight apprentice thing huh? ", asked Zax. "It doesn't bother you that I'm a tiefling? ", he added.

"Not many people knew, but Sir Tusk had wereboar blood in him. I can't see how a tiefling is worse. ", noted Olga.

"I admit I have my reservations sir, but your reputation and legend overshadows your fiendish heritage. I've heard stories you slew a goddess, defeated giants, and stopped an army. I would gladly serve such a hero. ", gushed Rollo.

"They aren't stories boys and girls. ", sniffed Zax proudly, it was one thing to boast about your deeds it was a different matter when others boasted for you. " Err...do I have to pay you guys anything? Or do you guys pay me for teaching you stuff? ", suddenly asked the tiefling suspiciously. He had no clue what tutelage of a knight involved, and was certainly not going to put two ,most likely expensive, professionals under his payroll. However if their services were free or better yet if they were paying him to pretend to teach them, that would be a different matter. He wasn't about to turn down free labour or better yet a source of steady income.

Olga eyed the tiefling suspiciously. " I can only offer you my blade and loyalty , in return I hope your leadership will provide us with sufficient room and board. I've heard stories the the Knights of the Husky were a self sufficient band , and I am prepared to survive in the wilderness if need be. ", declared the elf with narrow unamused eyes.

"I come from an unaffiliated noble house. If a reasonable fee is required, I can provide one. If Olga needs one, I can pay for her too. ", answered Rollo. The elf seemed surprised , and gave him a suspicious look as well.

"Hey look. We're battle brothers...err sisters...er comrades. You know what I mean. We were squires through Tusk, and Erland, no way I'm letting you leave for something as simple as gold . ", responded Rollo nervously with a shrug. The elf considered the answer, and simply nodded.

Zax of course didn't care who was gonna pay, he was just delighted someone was going to pay him money. A rich nobleman, and from the looks of his things, his unrequited love interest were going to pay him cold hard gold to teach them about knighthood. Also , they seemed to be sturdy fighting types, he could get them to run interference for him if he got into trouble. He saw squires also lift luggage for their lords , he could use them as cheap manual labour as well. The tiefling grinned at the possibilities.

Zax heartily welcomed his new squires and told them to wait outside. After he was properly attired he properly addressed them. "Ahh ...My loyal squires. Being a knight isn't always about fighting or questing. Today I have a few errands to run, I think the ability of "taking care of buisness. " is as important as any fancy shmancy sword moves. So today I want the pair of you to accompany me as I search for a wayward fellow student, and then escort us to the docks. ", ordered Zax.

"Yes Sir. ", shouted the pair .

"Excellent. Sir Rollo is it...that's an interesting name, sounds very nobley . ", noted Zax as he attempted to derive how much cash he could squeeze from him.

"It is short for Rognvald. Sir Tusk gave me that nickname. I am from the Earldom of Custeinson . ", commented the young knight with a bit of embarrassment. Zax never heard of the place, but it sounded rich. He glanced at the man's armor and noted it was of the highest quality and even had gold inlay .

"Olga...that doesn't sound very elvish. ", teased Zax as he turned to his other squire.

The elf's eyes narrowed again. Zax expected her to be embarrassed, but instead she seemed to seethe from the comment. The tiefling recalled Darwen's eyes would narrow as well when she was angry at him for some reason. " It is not an elvish name. My true people were scattered by the terror of the North before I was born. I do not remember the exact circumstances but I was abandoned like so many of my brethren at the doorstep of a barren couple. Fortunately they were kind folk and adopted me and raised me as their own . Besides my obvious ears , I have no connection to ...my people. However if you prefer, you can call me Ogela if my current name does not sound elvish enough for you. ", she said dryly , barely containing her anger.

Zax didn't like her tone but she was his squire after all. At least till they get sick and tired him. Until that time, he would delight in proving to her that he was not a person to be trifled with. "Ahh..an excellent idea Ogela it is. ", beamed the tiefling . The elf's pale face finally grew red, and she seemed to be at a lost for words. Her companion on the other hand let out a hearty laugh. Both the elf and the tiefling stared at Rollo before eventually chuckling along with him.

"I suppose if Sir Tusk can hand out nicknames, I can accept one as well. ", smiled the elf .

Zax nodded in agreement and noted she almost looked attractive when she lost her scowl. At that point he waved his new squires to follow, he had an attractive elf of his own to find.

* * *

><p>Darwen looked out the window, and was disappointed that all she could see was the high manor wall. The elf expected to drop the mysterious tome off to the Lady Rydia and then find the elven camp , she didn't expect to be at Petrus's side over night.<p>

The elf wasn't sure what happened, but from his wounds , she guessed that Petrus was recently slain by a giant's boulder. For some reason , a sacred Bralani Azata retrieved his body and brought him here to Arnborg. The blind knight was apparently a cleric of no small skill, and revived the slain summoner with his magic. The ritual was quite draining for the knight, and he asked her to stay at the recovering summoners side while he rested. Darwen had no particular opinion of Petrus, but agreed since he was a companion of Zax's. Isula nervously took the opportunity to discuss the tome with the lady Rydia.

As Darwen watched the gentle breathing of the revived man, an icy wind entered the room. The bladesinger turned to the wintery gale and bowed. "Hail to the great noble Bralani that has rescued my mate's friend. ", she said in rough elvish. She almost stopped herself when she referred Zax as her mate, but it seemed the most appropriate term. There was no other words in her limited elvish vocabulary that seemed to fit .

The wind swirled and coalesced into the form of an exotic silvered hair beauty. "I am no longer deserving the title of Bralani, please refer to me simply as Amirah. ", she replied in the common tongue accompanied by a curtsey. Darwen noted that along with her beautiful haunting voice, there was a hint of a deep sadness.

As Darwen pondered her words she was suddenly surprised that she had recognized that name. "Amirah? Royal Adventurer Reinhardt's ...err companion. We met him recently during the siege of Grom City, he mentioned you were either slain, lost,or imprisoned by Lord Karak. ", gasped the elf in surprise.

Amirah's beautiful face was marred by a pained expression . "Yes...I was. Lord Karak proved to be a greater challenge then I expected and imprisoned me into a prison . Strangely enough , he thought I was some sort of Jann or Djinn , and bound me with a ritual more suitable to a genie. I remained in my prison until recently the jail keeper commanded me to revive his slain friend. Since I possessed no such magics, I used my unearthly speed to transport him to someone who could. The time a spirit is bound to a mortal body is quite limited so I flew with haste.", explained the ethereal beauty .

Darwen wasn't sure what to make of it. Who was this mysterious jail keeper that was concerned about Petrus's death? Before Darwen could reply , Isula burst into the room. The elf was shocked as the young giantess's face was streaked with tears, she had never seen her in such a state. Instinctively she reached out and hugged her friend , and felt her cold body shiver in sadness.

"I'm..I'm a traitor to my people. I'm small, I'm this way ...because I've been cursed. ", Isula sobbed uncharacteristically.

* * *

><p>"Ahh...Lady Sharliss. I am delighted that you've agreed to father's suggestion. ", declared Stormfeather as he glided imperiously through the elven crowd.<p>

Sharliss was on her way to see her sister, and did not expect to be "ambushed " by the Griffon Prince. "Greetings Sir Stormfeather. Know that I only agreed to such a pact because I care for my family. If your order had any honor, there would be no need for me to submit to such an arrangement. " , she hissed .

Stormfeather laughed out loud, "Hah. Are you always such a pessimist. Most people see marriage as an enlightened event, not some shackle or great labor. Anyways, I just wish to be formally introduced to you . It seems like you still have some issues, so I will see you on our wedding day after our victory. More importantly I'll see you on our wedding night. ", the Griffon Prince said smugly.

"You certainly are overconfident aren't you. If the foe can not be bested by my parents and their allies, I doubt your Order will find an easy victory. Even if you are victorious, I agree to a political marriage in name only. If the knights need that type of bond to cement an alliance, then so be it. I will wed whatever candidate they choose for me, even someone that was rumored to have attack Grom City and kidnapped my friend Sarin. I assure you it will be in name only . I can also guarantee you they will not share my bed. ", the priestess declared ominously.

The Griffon Prince grinned manically at the girl. She was certainly pretty enough, but he savored her defiance. It would be fun to break. "Dear girl, I am currently the only suitable candidate for this alliance. Only a Champion or a Knight commander of the Western Orders would be acceptable. However, I believe in true love, and I'm sure the forces of true love would prevail by causing an accident to any rivals to your heart. As for not sharing your bed, I am sure...true love...can break, beat and punish your pride into submission. ", smiled Stormfeather as he gazed upon Sharliss with a look of pure malice.

A strong gust of wind, and a dark shadow appeared overhead. "That's enough. Please leave this compound. ", declared Dahana. The dark angel hovered over the pair flapping her mighty black feathered wings, while holding her flaming bow.

Stormfeather paid no heed to the threatening infernal and simply bowed to Sharliss. "We shall be together again soon. Very soon. ", he threatened with a subtle charming voice.

The priestess watched the man leave . The elves parted from his path , as they sensed an almost visible aura of threat and danger around him. Sharliss shook her head and wondered about her fate. She saw no way out of the situation ahead of her. She would be wed to the evil prince and be subjected to his whims. She doubt her magic could stop him , she couldn't even stop two griffon knights at Lord Quick's manor let alone their infamous warrior prince. She normally thought herself as strongly independent, but admitted she was in way over her head.

Sharliss paused and took a deep breath, there was no need to panic. She had survived much in her life. Besides the all too short time she had spent with Lady Wayland and then her parents, everything in her brief life had been a struggle. She will endure the Griffon Prince with pride and dignity, she promised herself. She would not play the part of the damsel in distress, she would find a way to overcome this new obstacle .

* * *

><p>Sarin looked at the obstacles ahead of them and grimaced. Besides the mists, the oceans were relatively clear a day ago, now they were full of icebergs of various sizes. Maneuvering through them would be difficult enough under normal circumstances, but the boat they were traveling with was a slow moving fishing vessel, now currently jammed full of refugees.<p>

"Are we there yet? Are we there yet? ", asked Kirgi incessantly.

"Patience. ", warned Sarin. " Try not to disturb our Crab hosts. We don't want to hit one of those islands of ice and sink do we?", the half elf said ominously.

Halvor looked at the icy hazards. " This boat seems pretty sturdy. Surely we won't sink if we hit one ...would we ?", asked the big knight .

"This is hardened ice, not packed snow. Striking one would be like striking a rock. Also the vast bulk of these icebergs are underwater. I do not doubt the craftsmanship of this vessel, but ramming one of these ..tiny icebergs...would spell our doom. ", noted Nymk as the Crab sailors cautiously navigated through the frozen maze.

"This is very odd. Grom has a short summer, but there shouldn't be this much ice in the oceans right now. ", commented Kania. Her pet ogre mage gargled in agreement.

Halvor flinched at the severed head. Since Petrus died, and his body mysteriously vanished, Kania had taken the Ogre mage as some sort of macabre pet. Due to its lack of lungs and damage to its throat, it couldn't speak, but it did manage to gargle , hiss, and snarl occasionally. It could fly and turn invisible, but that seemed to be the extent of the magical powers it could control. Kania explained that its ordeal , or more accurately torture, under Petrus's care had broken its mind a long time ago. From the nature of its wounds, it still could not regenerate a body. Halvor guessed the bizarre creature would have flown off awhile ago , but it was still magically compelled to obey the lamia.

"I've witnessed several Giant invasions in the distant past. Not raids like the one that struck Grom recently. I mean full sized assaults where thousands upon thousands of Frost Giants would swarm from Frosthaven into the south . They have some sort of magic that freezes the oceans before they invade. I'm not sure of the particulars of the spell, but if the weather is cold enough it could render the entire ocean into a suitable ice bridge. Once, when the knights were at the strongest, they decided to attack the giants in return. It was in the middle of summer, like now, and the waters were clear. Perfect time for an invasion. Sadly the entire ocean conspired against them , and icebergs appeared out of nowhere and smashed the fleet. Not a single vessel made it to Frosthaven, and the invasion was called off. ", continued the Lamia.

The crab sailors , Nymk, and Sarin all froze after the comment. Halvor looked to see if a wayward chunk of ice was coming their way, but did not spy one.

"No need to get so serious .", laughed Kania as she sensed the mood of the ship had changed. "Its only speculation on my part. The giants have already landed on the mainland. Causing the oceans to freeze would serve them no purpose. Even if the legends was true, and the giants had such magics, the most they could do was form an ice bridge to one of the bigger icebergs at this time of year.", noted the lamia.

Sarin closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He gazed at the crab sailors and they nodded towards him, a sign that even though he wasn't a member of their order, they respected his leadership in this situation. Nymk held his hand and the large half elf felt his resolve strengthen. The paladin turned to Halvor and shook his head. "We're turning this ship around. Not because of the ice, but because we are needed elsewhere right now. ", he said to the big knight.

Halvor wasn't sure how serious the paladin was, but saw the Crab crew already beginning to change course. "This is kind of sudden. What of the refugees? ", asked the big knight, as he did not fully comprehend the reasoning behind the command.

"Regrettably they will have to stay awhile longer in the ship. I won't sugar coat this for you Hal, but there is a distinct possibility they could die along with the rest of us. ", the paladin said grimly.

Halvor was stunned by Sarin's statement. "I've only known you for a short time, but I've come to trust your judgement. Especially when it comes to matters of life and death. I understand you must have a damn good reason to risk the lives of innocents. Can you at least tell me where we are headed, if we are no longer heading to Narwhal Hold? ", implored the big knight.

Halvor shook his head. "We are going to the former heart of the enemy. We are headed to Frosthaven to do what we can..if I guess right, it might already be too late for any of us. ", the paladin said with a stony face.

* * *

><p>"Slow down Isula. Slow down. Everything is alright ", whispered Darwen as she hugged the small giant uneasily. During her time in the army, Darwen had dealt with emotional and distraught female recruits before. She wasn't as stern or harsh as some of the other sergeants, but her typical technique involved a stern warning to be silent. Dealing with little girls was outside the elf's expertise, she was more accustomed to yelling at them. However, Isula was a dear friend and battle companion, the elf knew she had to at least attempt to comfort her.<p>

Isula gave a final sob then noticed the Amirah in the room. She wiped her tears away and stifled back her grief. "I'm sorry, this isn't like me. ", she apologized.

At that moment a sound that was close to muffled rattling was heard from the hallway. Moments later, the fully robed and veiled Rydia rushed into the room after Isula. "Isula ! Ahh..I see you've found your friend. You left in quite a distraught state after my translation. I feared you would do something rash. ", explained the translator.

Isula stared at the roof for a few seconds, then took a deep breath. Darwen could see the bottled emotions drain from her. "I'm sorry . Sorry for all the trouble. Coming here was a mistake. I will return south when I can. Never to return. Some history , no some secrets are best to be kept hidden and buried. ", she said with a sad sigh.

"Cough...nonsense ! ", sputtered Petrus as he weakly raised himself form the bed. " Secrets hold power. Power can corrupt and destroy, but its up to the strong to wield them correctly. You're a strong young woman, or giant...or whatever you really are. If anyone is strong enough to use whatever dark secret you've uncovered about yourself it would be you.", said the summoner with absolute conviction.

"Errr...why am in this bed. Last memory I recall was fighting a boat load of giants and a boulder flying at me. ", puzzled Petrus as he had a better look at his surroundings.

Amirah nodded in agreement. "We all have secrets. Some are more shameful then others, but we all must bear them. ", said the Azata as she shifted from elf to wind to elf.

The strange rattling noise was once again heard , but this time in the room . Darwen's keen ears detected that it emanated from their hostess Rydia. " The information I have given you has caused you great grief, and for that I apologize. However I believe you are better off with this the knowledge then living in ignorance of it. I shall provide a written transcript of the rest of the translation for you to examine privately . ", she said in a forlorn but still musical voice.

Isula shook her head. "There's...there's no need for that much trouble. Just tell me now. I am surrounded by my friends . I can stand up to whatever you tell me. ", she said as she grasped Darwen's hand firmly.

Darwen squirmed from the miniature giant's unearthly strength, but she remained stoically silent at her friend's resolve. She always considered the small giant an ally and even a friend, but was still pleasantly surprised when she found out the giant regarded her in the same way.

"I am honored , that you considered myself a true friend. ", commented Petrus . He weakly reached for the giant's hand, but she did not reach out and grasp his. After a few tries, the summoner shrugged and returned his hand back to his side.

The woman in the burka paused then sat down in a chair. She did not retrieve or produce the original text, and Darwen assumed she must have already committed it to memory. " The tome presented me was a collection of tales from the First to Third Crusades. It mainly dealt with the stories of the backgrounds of the heroes that gathered under the northern banners to wage war on the decadent south. One particular tale was the epic of Sir Njord."

Rydia paused and Arnborg entered the room with a piping hot kettle. Darwen didn't hear her ask her husband for refreshments, but she was more concerned with the wisdom of a blind man carrying boiling liquids. The sightless knight then poured the audience a beverage that resembled tea and Rydia continued her tale.

" Sir Njord was said to be a god amongst men. Kind of like an ancient Mighty Zug or Monte Nabisco, to put it in contemporary terms. Before the crusade, he lead an army of knights to battle a large horde of giant raiders. Giants back then were different from he ones now. They wielded great magical powers, like the ancient gods of Norwa. They were said to be able to summon deadly blizzards and legendary beasts, or even tear rifts through space and travel rapidly through them. These magical giants and heroic knights clashed for seven days and nights , but there was no conclusive winner. The leader of the giants was the Princess of the Royal family, she was also the most favored child of their Current King Frostreaver the Eleventh, and she was also said to possess powerful magics. Finally Sir Njord challenged their leader to single combat to end the bloodshed. . Loser leaves the field, that type of chivalric nonsense. The giantess accepted and met the knight at the appointed time and place. Unknown to her, her brother overheard this duel, and awaited Njord in ambush with his men. The giantess arrived just in time to see her brother and his men waylay the heroic knight. Either her sense of honor was stained, or she resented her brother acting out of turn, whatever the reason she came to the knight's aid and together they defeated the ambushers, and captured her brother. The giantess then demanded Njord continue with their contest, and the pair waged a terrible duel that lasted an entire day. In the end the giantess was defeated . Leaderless and demoralized, the giant raiders reluctantly left. "

"King Frostreaver the Elventh was furious at his daughter's defeat. The giants and knights were eternal enemies , their wars had been recorded for several millenia. The fact that she had thrown away victory for the sake of honor, a human idea, enraged the King to no end. His first impulse was to simply kill her, but like all terrible parental figures in these legends, that wasn't enough. He wanted her to suffer . He first disowned her, then called upon Thryme, Thryme is their primary god by the way, to curse her. In giant lore, the most valuable attribute of a giant is its vast size. Typically the bigger the giant the more prestigious he is. To lose one's size was considered even a greater plight then when they supposedly lost their frost magic to ogre mages. After that grave insult, she was cast out of the kingdom where she wandered alone and an outcast for years."

Darwen finally slipped her hand free from Isula's grasp. She was thankful nothing was broken and stretched her fingers to restore their circulation. When she heard this part of the tale she looked at her friend. Isula seemed to be captivated by the story of her curse, her face was rigid but she showed no outward emotion. Darwen looked at her now freed hand and reached out and grasped the giant's hand again to lend her support.

"The tale doesn't go into specifics at this point, but I assume the wayward cursed giant subsisted as a nomad , hermit, or maybe a bandit for the next few years. By some strange twist of fate, a band of knights ran across the exile. Normally they would have fought , and the giant would have been brought down by weight of numbers. However, fortunately for the giant, Sir Njord was amongst the band. He immediately recognized his old foe and spared her.

I'm not sure what happened after that , but the pair became inseparable. This text refer to the giant as Sir Njord's love . From other legends of Njord I recall it did mention he had a female cohort, but this was the first piece of lore that I encountered that explained not only her identity but alluded that she was his lover as well. ", explained Rydia.

Darwen noticed Isula shifted uncomfortably. The elf guessed news of a forgotten lover in her past did not sit well with her.

"Eventually , the crusades were called to rid the world of the perceived corpulence of Grom. Sir Njord naturally responded and fought under the banner of the Snowlion. From history , we know that the crusaders fought their way to Grom City but during their expedition through the Shattered Mountains they encountered an ancient powerful evil. This evil required the might of all the major Orders , and even then they could not destroy it, they were only able to contain it. During this epic struggle, Sir Njord along with many others were slain. The knights erected mighty wards to bind the evil for eternity. From the text you gave me it said that the fallen giant was so heartbroken she volunteered to stand guard over this prison, and from these descriptions ..she placed herself in some sort of stasis spell. That is the conclusion of that particular story, but through out the rest of this tome it often referenced that act as an example of devotion and love. ", concluded their hostess.

Isula and Darwen sat in silence. The elf noticed that Petrus had dozed off during the long narrative and was comfortably resting from his wounds. Darwen expected more tears or some emotional breakdown from the miniature giant, but Isula showed no such emotion.

Rydia smiled , "Judging by your appearance , your white hair and ivory skin mostly, I assume you believe you are a distant relative of said giant. I hate to burst your bubble , but the texts were pretty specific in mentioning that the doomed Sir Njord had no heirs. It is a fantastic tale, but all legends have some basis of some fact. I hope my translation can put some of your questions to rest."

Isula nodded her head. "Thank you for your time. I'm not sure what to say, it is a lot to digest. ", she explained. Darwen half expected the giant to burst out into sobs again when their hostess left, but again Isula did no such thing. She simply sat emotionless next to her , purging herself of whatever sorrow or pain that possessed her earlier.

The elf and giant waited a few more hours in uneasy silence till Petrus was awake again. Arnborg bolstered the summoner's health with his magic and the trio left the manor.

* * *

><p>"No sign of this elf you've described. ", reported Rollo .<p>

Ogela returned shortly later and relayed the same thing.

Zax frowned, where did his companion go he wondered. He doubt she was in any physical danger. The elf could handle herself as well as anyone. There was a lot of sword itchy knights here, and they thought one of them might have challenged her to a duel crossed his mind. However, despite her record, dueling was her specialty. He doubt she would have fallen in one, and even if she did or was challenged to one, someone would have noticed it. So far there was no sign of her.

Sharliss had mentioned Darwen was going to a Athenaeum or something, but Zax had no idea what that was. Ogela mumbled something about that it was another word for library or book repository, but Zax dismissed such a foolish notion.

"Any ideas people ? There's no sign of her anywhere. ", puzzled Zax. "Oh and don't mention that library foolishness again. ", warned the tiefling to an annoyed Ogela.

"Didn't you have a meeting point or something. In case one of you get lost. An inn or a tavern, maybe a landmark ? ", asked Rollo.

Zax did not recall setting any such point. He didn't expect to be separated from Darwen , and he didn't really care about the rest. Sharliss was with the Treekeeper person, and he really couldn't care less about that grumpy giant.

Zax thought hard about where Darwen might have wandered off too. He guessed that she would most likely be looking for him as well. She could employ magics to scry him out, but from his limited knowledge of how that stuff works, he assumed all these knight head honchos carried some sort of anti magic to disrupt scryings. They valued their privacy of course. That reminded Zax of his own affairs. Despite have his own state room, he was concerned about the lack of privacy on the cramp ship. The metal walls and pipes seem to suggest that sounds travel fairly well on the vessel. Zax wasn't sure if they did or not, but he should take some precautions. If he was going to sail with Darwen to Irendi he should at least do so in privacy. He could think of all sorts of carnal things he wanted to do with his companion, that should be better off done in private. Also, he had to be careful not to insult Captain Blaze. The tiefling knew she was attracted to him, or at least she was attracted to his power. If he spurred her outright he could expect some serious drama happening between the two elves. First it would be some snide remarks, then some veiled insults. Pretty soon it would be a full blown fight. Zax sighed as he imagined how the two elves would battle. He guessed there would be a lot of hair pulling, and some light wrestling. Perhaps some dress ripping, even though neither wore such garments. The tiefling grew excited thinking of the pair battling for him.

"Sir...Are you alright? You seem deep in thought. " , noted Rollo.

" I was thinking of the ship I arrived on, and its Captain. ", said Zax still imagining the hair twisting, and scratching contest of Blaze and Darwen in his mind.

"An excellent idea Sir! If I was separated from my companions, I would proceed to where I entered as well. Ogela and I shall lead you to the docks at once. ", exclaimed Rollo.

* * *

><p>The seer screamed like a banshee under the lash , but no one could hear the crone. Jurgen was known as a cruel man in battle, but the though of torturing an old woman did not sit well with him. Regardless of his feelings, he knew it was either her or him. He turned to his lord and gave a sigh of relief when Felwind gave him the signal to relent.<p>

"So tell me crone...you told me to abandon my bid to become Grand Champion, for fear the abomination will arrive. ", asked Felwind shaking his head. "The council is over, and no abomination has shown up. I half expected him to accompany that buffoon Crab knight, but no such incident occurred. It's bad enough that your predictions are few and far between, but its especially distressing when they end up wrong. Can you please care to explain this. ", implored the Griffon Champion.

The seer began to speak, but Felwind put a finger to her cracked bloodied lips."Be careful, your life depends on this. Even though my other children have returned, I am in no mood for riddles or cryptic readings. ", he smiled.

The crone shivered in fear , not from the pain that had been inflicted on her, but because of the pain she knew would come. "My lord, I live only to serve you , and would not tempt your wrath by telling you falsehoods. The vision we saw was true, it will come to pass. However, there is one thing that can change it. The ..the warmaster has the power. His future is not written in the fates. His actions can cause ripples through time that can change destinies. ", coughed the crone.

Felwind frowned and ordered Jurgen to continue.

As the crone was once again lashed, she began babbling .

"The lord of the feather seeks to rule, but no one will follow him.

The lord of earth seeks the giants treasure,

but the father of the father of the abomination has it.

The feather lord must seek the treasure,

but not through flight,

but an iron fish. "

Stormfeather shrugged at the strange comments .

"You know pops. What she said earlier about the Warmaster, I heard something to that extent too. That's why the Avatar of "Me lick A", or whatever that whore queen called herself feared him. Maybe the abomination has some of his destiny changing effects. That could explain how he escaped us the first time. ", added Stormfeather reminding his father that he was the Arbiter of Ice for a good reason.

Felwind considered his son's statement. It had a ring of truth to it. The seers predicted the raid on Grom City would ultimately fail, but it did drive the spike between the knights and Grom diplomatically. Also if the Warmaster sent his lap dog Frank to warn the council, that might have caused the abomination to be delayed.

"This is troubling. Making decisions without my seers seem so uncommon. We shall proceed with caution.", noted Felwind as he savored the sounds of the seer's suffering.

"This could work out in our favor though.", noted Stormfeather.

Felwind's eyebrow raised in curiosity. " Explain. "

"Well, remember that political marriage we put on the table. ", asked the Griffon Prince.

"Yes. A trivial matter. I only agreed since it seemed to distress our political opponents. ", answered Felwind.

"Well...that little flippant suggestion of mine could save our hides in the end. If the Warmaster is so special, then we should include him in the family I think. ", grinned Stormfeather.

* * *

><p>Erland and Surry poured over the scouting reports . The two young squires did a good job, but the placement of the enemy seem odd. Their foes were almost two hundred miles to the north, but that meant little. Erland had fought the giants before and knew their long boats could traverse that distance easily in two days, or one day if they pushed themselves. Despite their mobility , it would be suicide to attack the fortress city of Narwhal Hold directly from the sea.<p>

"We should move against them before they consolidate their forces. I heard they were raiding supplies and slaves from the Grommish coast, but your super Squirrel senses already told you that right? ", joked Surry.

Erland wasn't sure why the Treekeeper was still at his side. He would have thought after her people's fate was guaranteed, the flippant half elf would be consoling her sister or something. She was the most irritating woman he had ever met, but there was something about her presence that was familiar and reassuring. He had long developed an ability to determine how much he could rely or trust someone in battle, and his senses told him that the Treekeeper was someone that would be at his side, even in the face of Ragnarok. The grand Champion smiled, no his senses didn't tell him that, she actually did it already. She was faced with a very real possibility of destruction but continued to support his cause. Such loyal friends were rare and should be treasured, even the annoying ones , Erland thought.

"No...they seemed poised to attack. We should be on the defensive. ", noted Erland as he puzzled over the maps again.

"Attack? If they come by sea , Narwhal Hold could easily fend them off. If they march by land, we could see them miles ahead . We can easily break up their troop movements and disrupt their chain of supply with our fast mounted troops. If they do something really dumb like attempt a beach invasion like they do on their raids, our troops could smash them as they land. It's a tactic that works on unsuspecting villages not a trained military force like you have now. ", noted Surry .

" So it appears.", agreed Erland. " From the information given to me, they have dozens of longships at the ready. This is normally quite a fearsome force, but far from sufficient to break through the harbor of the Narwhal. The maps says the bulk of their army is on foot, but the rough terrain and the summer muskeg makes travel difficult except for seasoned scouts and rangers. Something the giants are not known to have, but we do in abundance. If they attempt a ground assault they would be caught, surrounded, and destroyed piecemeal by our forces. If they were smart they would wait till winter till the swamps freeze , and attempt an attack then...yet somehow that is not the feeling I get. I've already placed extra sentries and I have the Order of the Boar prepared for any defensive actions, based on this hunch. Even now they are mustering from their grazing camps away from the city.", explained the Grand Champion.

"Feeling ...Shmeelings... I've met psychics before, and trust me Snappy...you ain't no psychic. As much as I hate delaying a relief force for father. We should get those Griffon boys to dive bomb those giants into submission first. Put those treacherous bastards to work. ", sniffed the half elf.

Erland shook his head, "Griffon versus Giant is a clash we see quite often up north. If the Griffons want any chance of striking the foes with their bombs, they expose themselves to barrages of rocks. If they fly too high, their ability to hit is greatly reduced. Even if they do find their mark, giants have the ability to catch rocks. It normally degenerates into a battle of attrition, but they are useful when they mass their attacks and strike swiftly in melee at exposed flanks or unguarded rears. ", lectured the Squirrel Knight.

"However...as much as I like to keep several company of them for that purpose, a recent development has made me question this tactic. ", the champion signaled for one of his squires and he brought forth a massive crossbow. A weapon so big it resembled a small balista.

"Our enemies' secret weapon. I suspect they will attempt to bait our Griffon friends with such scenarios, and shred them with this weapon. From my understanding , several Griffon patrols had already met such a fate. ", said Erland gravely.

"That's perfect then. We send those traitorous bird brains to their doom, you cement your rule by weakening a rival. ", beamed Surry.

Erland chuckled. "No.. I would never throw away men's lives so recklessly. If it gave me a tactical advantage on the battlefield , I would not hesitate to do so, but to further my political gains is another matter. I make it a strict policy not mix buisness and politics. ", stated the Grand Champion.

"Hmmm...how about buisness and pleasure? ", smiled Surry . The grand champion sighed. He noticed the Treekeeper had begun flirting innocently with him in the last few days. He blamed it on himself , because it all seemed to have started after he stole a kiss. The Grand Champion wasn't particularly attracted by the plain looking flat chested half elf, but he did admit he admire her spirit. However much he was tempted to dally with the Treekeeper, he knew it would be political suicide if such a tryst was discovered. His enemies would claim the half elf had him bewitched or something stupid like that. The Grand Champion hated these political games and admitted he was not the best at them, but he still knew better then to give his enemies ammunition against him.

Erland began to rebuff her advance, when suddenly horns were blown. Erland's ears perked up, even under his fearsome Squirrel helmet. "Alarm horns? We are under attack?", he asked puzzled.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean the Acheron has left! ", exclaimed Zax in frustration. "They were suppose to wait for me and my assistant. ", he growled angrily. He was about to continue how he had a one way ticket to the sunny beaches of Irendi but he stopped himself when he noticed his two squires attentively watching him shout. There was no need to give them an impression that he was leaving as soon as possible, at least until after they paid him fees to teach them about knighthood.<p>

The harbormaster brushed his beard and shook his head. "Sir Zax right? Well the Captain did mention you. ", he noted.

"Is she returning for me right away? She was just taking the vessel out to test out its systems right? ", interrupted Zax as hope that the Captain might return surfaced.

The harbormaster shook his head again. "No sir. She didn't mention anything like that. She actually had yer stuff packed and dumped off her boat. She didn't pay any warehouse fees for it, so I pretty much kept it where it was. ", he said while pointing to a small pile of crates , next to a blank eyed pony.

Zax took awhile to digest what the man had told him. Finally he broke out in hysterics. "Oh my gawd , oh my gawd! I'm stuck here with these inbred armored hicks ! They're gonna get me to fight or something. This is a disaster! Quick ..are there any boats leaving dock soon? How about aerial transport? No..no I have it. Are there any druid groves nearby? I'm a card carrying druid, they'll accept me for sure. I'll hide their till the trouble blows over. ", the tiefling sputtered in a panic.

"Hide till the trouble blows over? Inbred armored hicks? ", asked Ogela . The elf already harbored suspicions about the tiefling, and they seemed to have been confirmed by this craven display of cowardice.

Rollo on the other hand was looking at the more practical side of the harbor master's statement. "I can get these crates loaded to your tent in the elven Camp sir. Oh look...a pony. What a nice pony. Can I pet it? I use to have a pony when I was little. I loved the little guy. Who's a good pony..who's a good...OOUCCH! ", exclaimed the squire as the pony bit his fingers.

"AHA! I told you that high pitch whine was Zax's ! Pay up! ", declared a familiar elven voice between Zax.

"You are indeed correct. I thought for sure the pathetic prattling we heard belonged to a pubescent teenage girl, or perhaps a were poodle or something. A gentleman always pays his debts. ", replied a man with a foreign accent.

The tiefling turned around and saw it was a smiling elf, a sullen looking shrunken giant, and ...

"Darwen! Isula! ...Petrus? What in Koryis are you doing here?", asked the tiefling in shock as he saw his old friend hobble down to the docks , supported by the two women.

"To tell you the truth. I have no idea. Something about a bound Azata or something. By the way , did anyone see her go? She didn't say much before she vanished. ", asked the summoner.

Darwen shook her head, "Azatas especially Bralani Azata are very fleeting free willed spirits. She might be half way to Grom City ..or perhaps she's watching you from afar , making sure you are alright.", the elf explained. "By the way Zax, who are your new friends and where's the Acheron? "

Zax's composure returned as he began the introductions. "These are squires assigned to me by the Grand Champion Eralnd himself. Let me introduce you to ...umm... Sir Moneybags...and Lady Flats . "replied the tiefling. "Ummm...the Acheron and Captain Blaze kind of ditched us. ", added Zax in a dejected voice.

"Good riddance to trash. ", smirked Darwen quietly. The elf did not seem too concern about the departure of her rival.

"Moneybags? Flats? I think I prefer Rollo and Ogela ...", grumbled Olga.

Darwen smiled and slid next to the new elf. Even though her relations with the Captain Blaze was quite fictitious , the bladesinger instantly warmed to the new elf. "Your master has an annoying knack of assigning people terrible nicknames. Just be glad it isn't Chins or Nymph ...or some other silliness.", joked the grey haired elf.

The small band shared a laugh, and even the grim Isula managed to break out a smile.

Suddenly horns began to blow. Everyone around the harbor seemed confused at first, then the harbormaster pointed to the horizon.

Petrus gazed at the ominous looking silhouettes and knew exactly what they were facing. "Longships...those are giant longships. ", he said grimly.


	58. Chapter 58

Nymk watched the Crab fishing boat veered hard to port. The vessel groaned under the strain of the tight turn and narrowly missed the iceberg. Several smaller blocks of ice barred their path, but they were easily pushed away by the mermaid form of Kania and more remarkably the dolphin riding Kirgi.

Even though the dwarf initially protested vehemently against associating with the friendly ocean going mammals, Kirgi was soon found inseparable from his beast. Even though the dwarf had very little ocean going experience , he adapted remarkably to the chattering critter. His bond with the animal was so strong, that even after Kania's magic had dissipated , the dolphin still remained by the boat , ready to transport the dwarf to where ever he wanted. Currently , Kirgi was on a smaller chunk of ice. He would crack it with a pick, till it was a more manageable size then hopped on his dolphin to go to the next chunk.

"Good Flippy. Good Flippy. Who's a good dolphin? Oh yes, you are. Yes you are. Yes you are. ", encouraged Kirgi over the foam.

The vessel ,Sadaharu , crashed through the smaller chunks and the crew sounded out a cheer, as they continued to their perilous destination.

"Never though I'd see a dwarf so happy on the water. ", commented Nymk as she gazed at the cheerful dwarf.

"Doesn't take too much to make him happy. Gold, battle, whores, drink, or some combination of the four is normally what it takes. He's been kind of crazy ever since he started accusing everyone of stealing his booze though. ", grumbled Halvor. The swords woman noticed the big knight was restless and upset . Not only did the dwarf volunteer to take Halvor's ice cracking shift, but the aristocrat was still angry and confused at Sarin's decision. The half elf's explanation of some ancient artifact threatening the world did not seem to settle well with the big knight , especially when there were so many people from his fief placed in danger.

Nymk knew it was between Sarin and Halvor, but she felt the need to diffuse the situation. Partially because she knew that they needed everyone working together, and also because she felt a bit defensive about the paladin. She thought her instincts odd , normally she would remain aloof from such disagreements, but she admitted her feelings for the half elf were stronger then she initially thought.

The swords woman slid up to the big knight and looked at him sternly.

Halvor returned the gaze and snarled into the horizon . "I know, I know. You guys suspect some unknown earth god has attained some ancient orb or globe from a mythical giant city. This apparently spells the end of days or something. Instead of sailing away, our small fishing boat full of refugees are going to sail directly into the danger and stop it ourselves. Cuz there's no one else that can do it or something. Not Hida Franksada, or the Warmaster, or any of the Champions of the North. It's just up to us. We don't have time to drop off the refugees or anything like that, because it's all up to us. It's really that simple isn't it. ", laughed the big Knight.

Nymk cocked her head at Halvor and motioned to the ice. " Do you think this ice natural? Regardless if its giants or elementals causing it, who do you think will benefit from this ice , especially when it comes to war? Do you think your people will fare better here on this boat, or safe in Narwhals Hold. You do know every enemy invasion always go through Narwhals Hold right, regardless if they are giants or rock men. The knights have often beat back the invaders , but it has fallen a few times in the past. Do you think they would be safer here or there?", asked the swords woman.

"I don't have a crystal ball or anything, but I seriously question why we have to step up and recover this artifact thing . I'm not even sure if it exists or not. We aren't heroes. Or at least most of us aren't. Sarin is a hero, despite his claims to be a simple body guard . I no longer suspect, actually I'm positive you aren't what you claim to be as well. Rest of us are just fisherman, caravan guards, hungry spirits or bratty nobleman that are in way over our heads. Look what happened to Petrus. He was a soldier that tried to be a hero. He ended up dead. ", shrugged Halvor.

Nymk considered his statement then laughed merrily and playfully . "Don't try and pretend you are scared of death. I've seen your merry little band face off against seemingly overwhelming numbers of goblins, trolls, griffon knights and ..yes . even giants. I'm ashamed to admit that you are correct, I am not very good at disguises or acting . If you want to know the truth, I am a Knight of Winter and also the Emerald Arbiter. Believe it or not, part of my position is to judge those who claim to be knights of the north. Most of the "heroes" I judge simply claim the title as a ways to ride our prestige and are unworthy of such a distinction or honor. I don't care if you label yourselves as caravan guards or mercenaries, but I've watched your actions in the last few months. Besides the Knights of Winter themselves, I can hardly think of a more heroic band to have with me to journey into the unknown and recover some ancient relic and...save the world. If anyone here is qualified to judge a hero, it is I , and I deem you and your band as worthy of that title. ", she grinned.

Halvor rolled his eyes and despite himself , he managed a laugh. "Well if an actual Knight of Winter has so much confidence in us, I guess you're right then. After all we've been through, I guess fear of death holds no grip on me. However, I am still concerned with my people. Especially my sister in law and nephew. I grudgingly accept that they might not be safe anywhere, but it would have at least given me peace of mind if they were at least in Narwhals Hold. ", explained the big knight.

Halvor thought of the legendary fortress city. Of all the bastions of power in the north, it was the one most thought of by Grommers. Even in ancient times when it was constructed with timbers and sod, the strong hold had withstood countless invasions by giants, shark men, Thyatians, and other invaders. It had fallen a few times in the past, but knights had always gathered and reclaimed it with a vengeance. Despite Nymk's warnings , the big knight considered a possibility of a giant invasion there very small.

* * *

><p>"Ahhhh! ", screamed Zax as a boulder landed a few feet from him.<p>

The tiefling's new squires were busy directing civilians to safety , but Rollo bounded back to his Champion. "I heard a woman scream! Is everything alright ?", exclaimed the young man.

Darwen shook her head while Zax restrained himself from screaming again. "Everything is fine. Go back and help Ogela . ", ordered the elf . Even though the elf was not a member of the Order of Husky, her commanding tone , military efficiency and drilled discipline swiftly convinced Rollo to obey her.

Zax waited till the young squire returned to his crowd control duties before breaking down to his comrades. "What are we gonna do! There's an army of giants out there ! ", exclaimed the tiefling as another rock flew over head.

Petrus shrugged. "Approximately 2000 by my count. For now we have nothing to fear. As you can see , due to the range most of their rocks fall far from their target. Besides some light casualties, this barrage is mostly meant to keep us occupied. They will run out of rocks long before it causes any significant structural damage. Judging by this cities fortifications, any naval landing would be swiftly crushed unless some form of hidden magic is deployed. ", commented the summoner. Darwen was impressed by Petrus's observation and nodded her approval at his assessment.

"They seem to be making no attempts at a beach head. A ruse perhaps? ", asked Darwen to the summoner. Zax noted that the pair had the most military experience of all his companions but they seldom associated with each other. He often suspected some type of rivalry between them, but the summoner and the elf seemed to be working nicely at the moment.

"Most likely. ", agreed the summoner. Petrus then waved his companions back and placed his hands together. Then his fingers seemed to grasp the air as it appeared he struggled to pull them apart. Remarkably as the summoner performed this somatic gesture, a tall ebon skin woman with dark angel wings appeared, seemingly from the aether.

"Adria! ", exclaimed Darwen in recognition.

The eidolon nodded to the elf before flying straight up . Petrus's eyes began to rapidly blink and flutter. Zax looked at him nervously but the summoner simply winked at his friend. "There are two rings of long ships. They are set up so the broadsides face the shore. Their sails and oars at the ready. ", commented the summoner as he continued his eye blinking and fluttering .

Isula considered his statement then frowned. The small giant's grim nature seemed to have returned as the threat of combat loomed. "They aren't getting ready to land, they are in position to intercept any vessels that attempt to flee . If they were ready to invade then they would be pointed towards shore, to give us the least opportunity to react to their landing. ", snarled the cursed giant.

"Wait..wait. A blockade? To prevent us from escaping? Escape from what? ", asked Zax as the danger seemed to pass.

Adria plummeted downwards and smashed into the ground next to the trio. Although her impact shook the surroundings buildings and loosened cobblestones, the ebon angel did not seem injured from her landing. "I'm going to guess from whatever is causing that. ", she said while pointing to the western land locked portions of Narwhal hold.

Multiple dark plumes of smoke began to ominously rise.

* * *

><p>"HUSH! ", shouted Surry . Even though her voice was strong and clear, the battlefield drowned out her cries for her step sister.<p>

"How did they evade our wards and watches? ", growled Erland as a large giant bore down on him.

Surry gracefully hopped back from a large snapping winter wolf. Erland was impressed that the elf did not panic like most wizards . Most would be terrified if they did not have a chance to weave their defensive enchantments while being cornered in melee. She simply took a swift step back, then disappeared before her canine attacker. Almost instantaneously she appeared behind the wolf, and scorched it mercilessly with three jets of flame. "Lady Fleur and I coordinated our magical defenses of the camp. Only another archmage could have penetrated our wards. I doubt such a giant wizard exists in this age. They must have used some sort of artifact , or perhaps something more mundane. They might have dug a tunnel? ", offered the elf as she finished the wolf.

Erland listened to her words, while he engaged his own giant. The Frost warrior kicked the smaller man but the Emerald Champion gripped the much larger humanoid's knee with both hands. A normal man would have been crushed or thrown back, but the Squirrel Knight simply flipped his attacker with his prodigious strength and his skilled application of momentum. He then drew his great axe as he hopped on the stunned giant's chest and buried it with one blow into its face.

"I doubt they could dig a tunnel of such size in secrecy. It is summer, but less then a foot of moss and top soil is thawed. The local routes to the underdark are mapped and the ground here is either muskeg or permafrost . ", replied Erland calmly when he had a moment to speak.

"Can't you guys call it a swamp like everyone else, Snappy. ", asked Surry as she took the break in battle to finally weave her defenses. Erland for his part stood guard for the Treekeeper and for his efforts he noticed that she had placed a rune of haste on him.

A pair of feral looking ogres spotted the lone pair and roared a challenge to them. Before they could begin their charge though, the Emerald Champion was upon them. With a single swing of his axe he decapitated one, and cleaved and shattered the shoulders of the other. The ogre gurgled in surprise and wobbled on his feet , as blood sprayed from the wound caused by the unexpected blow.

"FALL! ", demanded the Champion angrily and the ogre complied by collapsing on his face. "I'm not wasting more then one swing on trash like that. ", growled the Champion angrily.

"My..my...Snappy. You certainly dislike ogres. ", commented the Treekeeper ."Any preference for mount? ", she added with a smile as she launched a bolt of lightning into a massed group of giants.

The giants scattered from the electric attack and bellowed their rage. When they spotted the half elf, they quickly charged to exact revenge. Before they could reach her, a blur of green fury was atop them. Every swing with the axe, punch with his fist, and kick with his foot was a lethal blow from Erland. Soon the Grand Champion stood amongst the deceased, blood and gore dripping from his weapon and limbs.

"Hmmm...Something fast, a light war horse should be sufficient. ", he replied to the half elven wizard , disregarding the carnage around him as he scanned for more foes.

"A horse? I have the powers of the universe and creation at my disposal and you want a simple horse ?", scoffed Surry at the simple suggestion.

"Hey...what can I say ? My order is bonded to them, and I like horses. ", shrugged the Squirrel Champion.

Surry sighed and fulfilled his request. A tall majestic green horse appeared before the Champion. Erland swiftly mounted it and offered a hand to the Treekeeper. Surry brushed it away and hopped on its back gracefully and grasped the Champion's waist. "If I get a chance, I'll show you my special horse.", she purred with a smile.

Erland puzzled at her statement. "Oh...your...umm...special horse...err ...don't think that's appropriate. People might think , I'm taking advantage of my political station or something. ", stammered the Grand Champion.

Surry looked at Erland in confusion. "No you idiot. I'm not talking about my elven garden...I mean I can summon a mystical mount that moves like the wind, can jump higher then the clouds, and can flattens it foes with its thunderous hooves. ", snorted the Treekeeper smugly.

Erland grew red. He admitted he was attracted to the elf, but knew it would be political suicide to court her. To add to his frustration, Surry had rebuffed his incorrect and misguided intentions. "Ahh ok. ", he said curtly in an apologetic tone before spurring his mount forward in a reckless charge. The Grand Champion spotted a cluster of knights and ogres skirmishing and rode directly into them. Erland slashed his mighty axe to the left and then to the right effortlessly as he brought down half a dozen Ogres and turned the tide of the small melee. Surry for her part launched a deadly fireball into a group of giants that were about to reinforce their smaller cousins. The spell exploded painfully amongst them, and the survivors scattered back to regroup.

A cheer came from the knights for their heroic Grand Champion and ...guest. Erland noted that even after being saved by the Treekeeper, his warriors were still leery of elves and their secrets.

Suddenly the Grand Champion recalled something Surry said recently and turned to her in confusion. "Errr when you said your ...umm elven garden...you meant...", he asked before being interrupted.

"I meant...you should keep your head focused on the battle. Let's find my sister and kill some giants in the process. ", laughed the half elf as the pair galloped to the next skirmish.

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe was amazed at the power the King wielded. He heard tales of the Warping Axe, but thought they were just that, tales. He did not suspect the withered monarch could open a gateway to some shadowy realm where his troops traversed what would normally take days in mere minutes. The giant chieftain was both shocked at Frostreaver's power and angry that his King hadn't used this power more often.<p>

The portal the Giants used had allowed them to bypass the stinking muskeg and avoid the knight's outer guards. While it was open . the giant's poured a sizable contingent of their army through it , and caught the knights off guard. Though their enemy numbered over 100,000, the 10,000 ogres and giants that came through the rift would make short work of them. Darkaxe knew several thousand of his country men were awaiting offshore for the signal to invade. The jarl wondered if another portal would open that would bring the rest of their giant kin into the fray.

Darkaxe watched proudly as the initial wave of giants shattered their enemies ranks. No force in the world, could stand up to the charge of a 1000 giants he thought to himself. The knights fought hard , but they were soon overwhelmed by the initial ranks of Frost giant berzerkers. After the berserkers, ranks of ogres, giant skirmishers, and giant winter wolves swept the defenders. Several flights of trained Icehawks and White Dragons also joined the fray from the heavens and harassed the knights mercilessly.

Darkaxe thought the accursed griffon riders would have a greater battlefield presence, but was both relieved and disappointed that they had not challenged them in the air. He was relieved since he knew they were tough foes, but was disappointed that his men's arbalests would not be given the opportunity to sweep the sky of them. The battle for the skies wasn't completely unchallenged though. Occasionally a lone golden drake would descend from the skies and smash into one of the tamed White Dragons. The giant chieftan noted that the white dragons at their disposal and the enemy gold were roughly the same size, but the gold dragon was mounted and the pair made short work of their foe. Before the white dragons could react and mob it with their superior numbers , the golden dragon and its rider would dart off either into the clouds or into the multiple plumes of smoke , to regroup and strike again. Regardless of the heroics of a lone gold dragon and its rider, the giants would be victorious in the end, thought Darkaxe .

* * *

><p>"Follow me m'lady. ", ordered Sir Ivanovic as he hacked the ear off a winter wolf that attempted to bite him.<p>

Sharliss complied . Even though she wasn't panicking, the priestess knew the dangers of the chaotic melee around them. She had taken a walk from her tent to clear her head and make sense of her agreement to a political marriage, when the giants struck. Despite being skilled at various types of magic, but soon found herself surrounded by the invaders. Fortunately for her, the old but heroic Sir Ivanovic fought at her side.

The wolf that Ivanovic wounded fled from the knight, but another one took its place. Instead of lunging at the old warrior like its brother had previously this one breathed a cone of icy crystals at the pair. Ivanovic instinctively raised his shields to block the attack, but found the frost had no effect on him. The old knight knew what had happened and nodded appreciatively at the priestess and her protective prayers as he closed the gap between him and the wolf. He smashed his shield into the side of the creature's face, then plunged his blade into the neck of the reeling creature. The winter wolf yelped in surprised, but quickly lost its strength and lifeblood , as it crashed into the ground. It was an old tactic the old knight deployed, but it worked well enough.

"The inner walls of the city still look intact. We should fight our way there m'lady ", noted the older knight as he wiped his blade and scanned for more foes.

"Lead on. ", smiled Sharliss. "There's no need to refer to me as your lady, especially a knight of your rank and station . It doesn't sound right since I am a Grommer amongst other things after all . ", she added humbly.

Ivanovic scoffed at the girl. "Nonsense. You are the daughter of the Warmaster. A great and respected Lord of the North. You deserve any honor your father has won. ", corrected the Silver Arbiter as he motioned the priestess to follow again.

"I am not a hero like him. I an only his daughter by name only. I do not even share his blood. ", Sharliss noted in embarrassment by the respect her father was given.

Ivanovic laughed, " Many of us saw the political trap painted by the Griffon, but approved of your actions. You accepted their challenge with grace and dignity , and showed true sense of the words duty and sacrifice. You are deserving of the title as much as anyone else. Up here in the north , blood matters, but not as much as the bond between a parent and their children. People are killed all the time up here, and their children orphaned. It is not considered a stigma in our culture to have different blood then your parents. Its the lessons the parents teach to their young, that's what matters. Your brave actions just confirmed that belief. ", explained the old knight as made his way to the inner wall.

Just then a shadow blanketed the pair. The priestess and the knight both looked up , expecting an enemy white dragon or something along those lines. Instead an armored griffon descended on them. Ivanovic shouted a warning, but was cut short as a feathered wing buffeted and knocked the old knight down.

Sharliss stumbled back defensively, but a sudden blow struck her on the head . The priestess was trained in battle, and little caught her by surprise, but the pommel strike that brought her low was too swift for even her unnatural eyes to follow.

* * *

><p>Champion Kalinka's knights crashed into the invading giants. Her warriors were caught off guard and unprepared by the surprise attack, but they still fought like the lions that they were named after. After they reorganized themselves they began sweeping the battlefield of giants. The champion grudgingly accepted the fact if the immigrant elves , she despised so much , had not disrupted the enemy ranks with their arrows and spells, her troops would have most likely been overwhelmed by now.<p>

Her Knight Commander Brita , the infamous Mistress of the Lionblade , evoked her dreaded darksword and sent it flying through the enemies ranks destroying all in its path. The beautiful tattooed warrior was not only a skilled paladin but her magic was unmatched. She was an expert at summoning and controlling spectral blades and was currently at the vanguard of the Snow Lion forces. She carved a swath through the giants, while the rest of the brave lion knights followed in its wake, capitalizing on the disrupted enemy ranks. As the knights surged forward the knight commander suddenly held her hand up to signal a halt in the advance.

"What's wrong ! ", demanded Kalinka. "We have them on the run, with the ...elves...supporting us, we can win the battle by ourselves. Victory and honor shall be ours! ", declared the Lion Champion.

"My Lady, I would agree under most circumstances, but the giants have already demonstrated powers that we do not comprehend. We should proceed with caution. ", cautioned the bloodied but still beautiful Brita .

"Nonsense! We charge! ", declared the Snow Lion Champion with a mighty shout. The forces of the lion knew that the battle centered on them and this was their chance for glory and honor. As one they sounded a deafening roar that shook the battlefield and gave the giants and ogres pause to their challenge. Before their enemies knew what was happening, the Order of the Lion, the bravest of the brave of the northern knights, charged their giant foes in an unrelenting surge.

* * *

><p>"We should help our brethren! ", declared Rollo enthusiastically. The young squire gnashed his teeth at the opportunity to engage the enemy.<p>

"No..that's too obvious . Do not doubt their powers of umm..chivalry. I'm sure our brothers in arms have things under control. We should keep an eye on the dock, keep those boats out there honest. ", declared Zax as the tiefling attempted to keep his small group ,and more importantly himself out of harms way.

Ogela and Darwen both looked at Zax suspiciously, with Darwen adding a healthy dose of disappointment in her glare. Although the two were physically very different, they both had penetrating blue eyes that seemed to pierce the tiefling's deception. Zax shuddered under their combined gaze.

Zax expected Isula to jump into his public shaming, but curiously the miniature giant seemed to be lost , gazing silently into the harbor.

"Are you sure about this Zax? It looks like people need our help. ", asked Darwen as she gave the tiefling an opportunity to redeem himself.

Zax was caught. He wasn't sure about Ogela, but he knew Darwen could easily read him like a book. The tiefling had no intention of engaging giants in a brawl, but he also didn't want to get on his lovely elven companion's bad side either. He sensed the last few days on the Acheron and the attentions of the overly attached Captain Blaze had already put a strain on their relationship, the tiefling definitely didn't want to antagonize her anymore.

Zax sighed and shrugged, he would agree to aid the knights, even though he seriously doubt they could do anything significant. He was about to relay his change of plans to his squires, when suddenly Petrus interrupted him.

"The boats aren't merely there as a blockade. I suspect they might also be probing for weakness. ", noted the summoner. "I see most of the knights in this area are eager to do battle like young Rollo. They have already decided to assist their comrades, this leaves the port open for attack if they do not garrison it properly. ", Petrus explained.

Zax seized the opportunity. "You heard the man lads. We should see to the dock's protection. Remember there are no small roles in war. A simple clerk in the Quartermaster corp is as important as a front line berserkers crashing into the enemies ranks. ", supported the tiefling.

"Errr actually , berserkers and other assault troops are paid higher rates and given more opportunity for promotion then supply clerks.", corrected Petrus.

Zax ignored the last comment and turned to his other companions. Rollo reluctantly agreed with a heavy sigh and proceeded to clear a way through the chaos to the docks. Ogela nodded and made a much less visible show of displeasure as she continued to direct the fleeing civilians. Isula shrugged and sat on a crate as she waited for the coming battle. Darwen seemed to hesitate , but reluctantly agreed to stay by the tieflings side. Zax could see she was torn from her desire to foolishly act heroic, and her self conscious fear of failure. The elf had failed too many times in the past when by herself, and she opted for the safer route. Zax loathed himself for not supporting and encouraging her, but he was also relieved that she wasn't in danger. More importantly , that he wasn't in danger as well.

"Trust me guys...we aren't missing anything. ", Zax smiled as he reveled in his small victory.

* * *

><p>Surry's vision spun . She recalled riding with Erland into battle. The Grand Champion saw where the battle was fiercest and urged the summoned mount into the fray. Surry could see that Erland was taking them to join about a thousand Lion knights and several companies of elven archers that were moving to shatter the center of the giant's battle line. As the pair approached . suddenly a strange billowing blue mist appeared from thin air and surrounded the Lion Ranks.<p>

The suddenly blinded summoned horse crashed into the ground. Surry was thrown off and smashed her face into the ground. The Treekeeper wasn't sure the chain of events that caused her fall, but sensed she was surrounded and in trouble. As she struggled to regain her balance and her wits, several large giants closed in on her from around the mists. She didn't recall any giants in the area before the fog overtook her, and she wondered if it was a form of specialized giant travel magic. As the elf was frozen in though, a giant hefted his axe and brought it down on the still stunned elf.

Surry attempted a simple ethereal jaunt and barely managed to warp the space around her and appear several feet away from the crashing axe. The giant reacted swiftly by booting the elf with his massive boot. It's foot caught her in the side, and sent her crashing and rolling down the battlefield. The blow should have broken the back of a normal man or even a full knight but the tough elven archmage survived. Barely. Her rigorous days as a ranger mercenary taught her to take and roll with such an attack. Even with her training , the attack had doubled her over and she curled painfully into a ball. Through her pain blurred vision she saw her attacker charge her again . She quickly intoned a spell of undoing and encased her enemy in a crimson glow. Surry breathed a sigh of relief as the giant's anger was replaced by a look of confusion before it dissipated into a cloud of ash.

The elf managed a weak laugh , before she sensed several more giants and ogres emerge from the blue mists. She needed time to catch her breath and to reorganize her thoughts, and doubt she could survive the next onslaught. She gritted her teeth and prepare to blanket the area in flames, destroying herself and as much of her enemy as she could. Before the besieged archmage could cast her final spell, suddenly a bestial roar shattered the air around her.

Surry expected a dragon or some other monstrous beast to swoop out of the sky and finish her, but instead saw a blur of verdant vengeance descend on her foes.

* * *

><p>A bloodied Erland leaped on the closest giant and landed on his neck. The weaponless champion gripped the giant's neck and snapped it with a snarl before leaping at a nearby ogre. The ogre swung his club at the attacking knight and struck him squarely, but the weapon shattered against the chiseled body of the raging berzerker. Erland's knee crushed the offending ogre's chest and sent it falling on his back. Before the savage could rise , the raging Champion brought his deadly elbow into the creature's skull, cracking it with brutal power.<p>

Erland then spun to face his attacker and saw the creature staggering from a hail of arrows. From his expression, the champion expected to see a platoon of archers but was instead greeted by the sight of the Elven Treekeeper with a scrounged bow in hand. Her tight green robe was torn and she looked disheveled from her injuries and battering , but the elven archmage seemed perfectly at ease on the battlefield.

Erland prepared to finish the perforated giant, but a bolt of thunder descended from the heavens and flattened the creature. The champion squinted as the dust settled, revealing a massive grey destrier with small bluish flecks. The magnificent animal had an ominous look to it, and the Squirrel lord shouted a warning to his companion. Surry ignored him and simply approached and mounted the horse . To Erland's surprise the fierce creature lowered its head and seemed to accept her mastery over it.

The archmage waved at the confused Champion with her bow, "C'mom Snappy. Pixietrampler won't bite. Much. ", she teased from her bleeding mouth.

The Squirrel Champion nodded and approached the pair and was promptly bitten by the horse.

"Steady there big boy. ", purred the elf to the mysterious horse. " Wow, this is the first time he's come without me or someone else summoning him to the area. A very long and boring ritual. Guess it really shouldn't surprise me though, it is a pretty unique beast. ", she added.

Erland growled and attempted to approach it a second time. He gave its jaws a wide berth as he approached the mounted Surry obliquely. Besides the odd elemental smell from the horse he paused as he detected a new aroma. A familiar essence that he once smelled ...smelled a lifetime ago.

Erland tried to process the scent through his memory ,but he quickly forgot it as Surry offered the Champion her hand, and helped heft him up onto the mount. Erland frowned as the mighty Grand Champion of the Squirrel, Lord of the Northern Orders, and Master of all horses was forced to be a passenger to the elven rider. His anger was subsided though as the Treekeeper invoked some form of nature magic to heal both their wounds.

"Didn't think I would have to use the bow and arrow these days, but I guess the old tried and true ways are good to rely on when your back is against the wall. ", smirked the elf as the horse began to stamp its hooves in approval. Surry then scanned the mists, and turned her head to Erland. "Hey Snappy , want a bird's eye view of the battleground? ", she asked playfully.

Before he could answer, the massive Destrier leaped into the heavens.

* * *

><p>"Sir , the knights of the Snow Lion, and ranks of elven archers are preparing to charge! ", shouted the observer on the Indomitable's rigging. Despite the blue mist obscuring the battlefield the scout reported on the battle field with perfect clarity. The mighty skyship drifted unseen over the edge of the battle, as some mystical invisible barrier obscured it from sight.<p>

"This is bad...really bad. I can't see a damn thing with this blue mist . ", commented Lord Quick as he gazed through the telescopic viewing tube Ramirez had provided him. The captain nodded and unobtrusively adjusted the unwieldy lens with a twist of a complex top knob.

"Ahh...that's better. ", nodded the elven duelist as the lens suddenly allowed him to see through the mist. "By Wind Dukes of Aaqa ...its like every giant and knight in the world is battling it out down there. We aren't prepared for this, turn this over priced tub around. ", fretted the Royal Adventurer.

Captain Ramirez bristled at the Duelist calling his proud ship a tub. The mighty Indomitable was one of the most storied vessels of the Grommish fleet and such a slight would have earned the elf a dozen lashes if not for his station.

"Shall we signal our cohorts the Invincible and the newly refitted Imperial about our retreat ? ", asked Ramirez with barely contained anger.

"Hmmm good idea, but not right now. We need a head start first I think. Hmm...I dunno about 10 minutes on this rusty bucket should be enough I think. ", replied the elf flippantly. The fact that the Indomitable was made mostly of wood infuriated the Captain some more, and he harbored thoughts of throwing the duelist overboard and claiming it as an accident.

Despite his reservation the captain complied with the order and swung the vessel around. Even though the Captain was on the front lines defending Grom City from the knight's recent raid, he knew that it was a mistake. He had fought with these warriors during the battle against the Great Horde and knew the vast majority of them were honorable warriors. He saw that they were currently heavily out numbered by the giant's aerial forces, with the infamous Order of the Griffon no where in sight. Ramirez knew that his small flotilla of skyships could make a difference against the giant attackers.

"Sir, the knights of the Lion and several ranks of elven archers are now surrounded. ", reported the observer again.

Lord Quick shrugged, "Not our problem. These northern Orders shouldn't have attacked us. We are under no obligation to assist them. ", replied the duelist dismissively. "Proceed with your orders. ", demanded the elf.

Ramirez nodded once again as he reluctantly signaled the vessel to proceed with the withdraw.

* * *

><p>A forlorn horn sounded through the mists. It rung clearly through the clang and clash of the battlefield and it seemed to echo in all directions.<p>

The deep sound reverberated through the walls and low buildings of Narwhal hold till it finally reflected across the harbor's waters.

Zax frowned as he squinted to see through the mists. Even though by nature tieflings were a cowardly lot, Zax was more curious about the fog obscuring the state of the battle then of spotting possible threats.

"I can't see a damn thing. ", commented Zax as he attempted to discern the tide of the conflict.

"The horn of Aegir. The fools have released it. ", hissed Isula cryptically.

Petrus was a bit more pragmatic as he intoned a spell, causing a brilliant sphere of light that floated from his finger tips and began hovering over the harbor. "What ever caused this mist used powerful magic. I suspect they are using it to land those longships and evade this city's defenses. Under normal circumstances it would be impossible to dispel, but I can counter most of its effects in a localized area. ", boasted the summoner. As the burning sphere's rays pierced the fog, the summoner shrugged as he noticed the blockading longships had not moved. "Then again, my hypothesis could be wrong. ", he noted.

As the summoner fretted about the purpose of the mists, Ogela pointed to the waters of the harbor itself. The waters began to swirl and churn as a dark shadow appeared in it. Several harbor men also noticed this and a few nervously approached the phenomena on their rowboats.

"Errr...what are they doing? Don't those guys ever listen to bard stories about sea monsters? ", wondered Zax.

Suddenly a huge tentacle exploded out of the water and smashed into the lead rowboat. The small ship exploded in a shower of planks and splinters as the massive appendage plowed through it. Panic erupted in the harbor as more tentacles appeared and began smashing and lashing out at all in their path.

"Giant Polar Squid! ", shouted Rollo for lack of a better response.

Isula shook her head and corrected him. "No...they've unleashed a force no giant or man can contain. The Hafgufa. "


	59. Chapter 59

"Did you say "Half off good yeah?" , like what kind of name is that?", demanded Zax, unimpressed by the title Isula had named the tentacled monster.

"I said Hafgufa.", the miniature giant repeated in an icy voice.

"Is that more of your strange giant language? I know you foreigners think its cool to assign impressive sounding names to relatively mundane things. For Example Jotun for Giant, or linnorm for dragon, or even slight twist like Aelf for elf and other such tongue twisters, but this time its borderline stupid. ", snorted Zax .

"I am not attempting to put on airs. The creature is named the Hafgufa. ", asserted Isula as she pointed to the tentacled beast crawling up the harbor.

"I think Zax is right on this one Lady Isula. Like why call it something bizarre like this Half foola, when it can be clearly designated as a Kraken , giant squid, dire octopus or some other such beast. ", noted Petrus. "If anything , this silly name will serve to put us off guard and place us in danger. From the level of destruction it is causing on the docks, that could be a dangerous mistake. ", the summoner added.

Isula bared her teeth. "Look, I will not call it a Kraken since it isn't one. For your information a Kraken is a northern sea monster, something that I've killed before and very familiar with. The Hafgufa appears similar to a Kraken , but its like comparing a saber tooth tiger to a house cat. If we were under attack by a saber tooth tiger, would you expect me to shout "House Cat! House Cat! " as a warning, just to ease your ignorance of the diverse range of monsters that dwell in this world ? It is an alien star spawned monster, that sleeps in its dead city till the stars are right, or if someone dares to summon it.", hissed the small giant in anger.

"Pardon the intrusion sir. Regardless of what name you assign this creature...shouldn't we so something to help? You did have the foresight to keep an eye on the dock, and now you can surprise our foes with your planning. ", interjected Rollo .

Darwen nodded and peered at Zax. "Shall we engage the...Hafgufa? Or do you have some other pressing matters to attend to?", the elf asked slyly, curious to his answer.

Zax already had a contingency plan thought up if the giants invaded the docks. He would claim he spotted a secret tunnel that would most likely take them behind the enemy forces. He would lead his merry band into the nearest inn then rummage through the wine cellar. Obviously there wouldn't be any secret tunnel, and they would waste most of their time while safely out of the battle. If the knights were victorious they would pop out and pretend to aid with any mop up operations. If the giants won, at least they would have a good place to hide out. Zax was well aware that such an action would have him branded a coward, but that was fine with the tiefling. He had fought trolls and giants before, and counted them as one of the most dangerous foes to deal with. Besides the fact that they were bigger and stronger, they also had very long strides, making running from them very difficult. Zax considered his reputation as a tradeoff for his survival against giants a fair exchange. The "Half Goofball" though was a completely different matter. Zax imagined the stories they would tell about the hero who's nerve was broken by an army of giants, it would be a disappointing tale, but at least it was something people could understand and sympathize with. Running from the Half Goofball would have no redeeming qualities however.

"There is no way I will let this slithering crawling seafood reject get the best of me ! We shall sweep this creature from our presence ! ", declared Zax in his well practiced and genuinely fake heroic voice.

Squire Rollo basked in the valiant aura of his new lord. "Shall I prepare your noble steed? ", asked the young noble proudly.

Zax looked at Bucky, who was slowly bumping its head on a stone wall. He was always dubious on its combat effectiveness, but even the tiefling knew that riding was faster then running. It would make for a faster getaway, and if he faltered in battle, he could always blame his cowardly mount. "Yes ! Prepare my mount! We shall ride this filth from the city! ", the tiefling declared.

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe grunted as the knight's lance pierced his back side. The giant chieftain ignored the wound and howled a challenge to his mounted foe. Even though his attacker was at his back arc and out of his immediate reach, the Jarl leaped backwards and crashed into his opponent. The giant's mass crushed the knight's horse and sent the rider flying into the air. Darkaxe saw the man land heavily on his back, and finished him off with a stomp with his foot.<p>

He was suitably impressed when King Frostreaver opened some sort of dark portal for the giant army. The giant King used some sort of ancient artifact axe that seemed to slice through reality and open a mystic gate. They swiftly traversed a hundred leagues and caught the hated knights by surprise. The battle should have been swiftly over, but their foe was relentless. Darkaxe counted a dozen knights he had vanquished but the armored warriors continued to attack , regardless of their losses. Fortunately when the knights were reorganized for a counter attack, the giant king blew an ancient horn and raised a heavy stone medallion into the air. The Jarl felt his skin crawl as the horn seemed to wriggle and writhe at the King's touch. He half expected the object to latch onto the King's face as mists billowed out of it. The axe opened another portal and even more giants poured out to engage their foe.

The chieftan scowled as his previous attack drove the lance tip deeper into his side. Jarl Darkaxe scanned what little he could see of the battlefield and saw only chaos. He saw only knights battling giants from the limited view he was afforded from the blue mists. From the shouts around them , he guessed his side was winning.

Darkaxe paused as he heard heavy coughing. He scanned the immediate area and was shocked to see his King doubled over in a hacking fit. The Jarl saw that Frostreaver was not only weakened but he looked drained as well.

"This is why I don't use the relics of our people too often. Hopefully it will be enough to smite our foes. ", wheezed the King.

Darkaxe glared at Frostreaver with disdain. Weakness amongst giants was not tolerated, even from their King. "The mist is hurting our forces as much as it hampers our foes. The small folk should be hiding from us, not the other way around. ", declared the Jarl haughtily.

Two of the King's bodyguards stepped between the Jarl and their lord and snarled a warning. King Frostreaver however waved them back.

"These are the last relics of our people that haven't been lost in our homeland of Frosthaven. They are powerful gifts from Thryme . Each have dreadful powers , but they come at a cost. The Warping Axe you've seen, it aided our people in ancient times to cross the iceflows. The staff of Kostchtchie which negates all magic. The Jotun stone which brings forth the spirits of our people to do battle against our foe. ", wheezed the King. " The mists however are an indirect product of the Horn of the Aegir. A terrible weapon that brings forth the Hafgufa, a creature of nightmare. ", the King added.

Darkaxe shuddered at the mention of the hellish beast. " Is it out there now? Can you actually control the beast? ", the Jarl asked tentatively.

The weakened King shook his head. "The Hafgufa will appear in water , it is too costly to control and will attack all around it. That is why I've told our naval forces to hold back till the monster's fury is spent. ", answered Frostreaver before he was stricken by a bout of hacks and coughs. " These items are dangerous to use, they extract a heavy toll on the user. Even if I was younger I doubt I could fully master them. I ..I hoped my son or my daughter would be stronger then me, but alas...they are lost. ", lamented the King.

Darkaxe snorted at his pitiful king. It was an embarrassment to show weakness to a subordinate, and the king was shameless in his bemoaning. The Jarl felt nothing but disdain to his monarch when his Frostreaver admitted he was wary of using these artifacts. They were gifts from Thryme, and he should have not been so cowardly in their use. "Its a shame your sister was banished, I bet she could have used those relics more freely then you. ", challenged the Jarl, fully expecting retribution from the King's guards.

The guards raised their weapons to strike the offending Jarl, but once again the King waved them back. "He is right. I should not be the one leading our people, but it is too late now. Our homeland is gone to us and our people exiled. I admit I have been overly cautious during my reign, but I can make amends now if I can secure a place for my people. ", wheezed Frostreaver.

A peel of thunder resounded from the mists and interrupted the two giant leaders . Darkaxe growled at the sound, it did not come from giants. He hefted his axe and gave the king an ominous glare before he rushed to engage whatever human trickery was afoot.

"You should have let us strike him down my King. Jarl Darkaxe's loss would not be missed. He had always been a troublemaker. ", noted one of the guards.

"I know, but our great nation is at the brink right now. Even if we are victorious I have doubts our people can continue as a nation. At this point I can not afford to lose any of our leaders, regardless of how rebellious they are. ", noted the King in a tired voice.

* * *

><p>Sharliss's mind and vision cleared as a blast of cold air blasted her face. She shook her addled head and saw she was bound on the saddle of a soaring griffon.<p>

"Ah, my beautiful 'prize' awakens. ", laughed Prince Stormfeather as he glanced down on the priestess tied before him.

"I did not ask for your aid. Sir Ivanovic had things well under control before your...'rescue'. Release me at once so I may use my healing magic in battle. ", the priestess demanded.

The Arbiter of Ice considered her words then laughed again, "My dear. I had no idea you were so naive. You weren't inadvertently rescued. You've been taken as ...how should we say...a political prisoner! "

Sharliss was surprised to say the least at the audacity of the statement. " I am under protection of the Treekeeper , the Grand Champion, and of course my father the Warmaster. To do this is an act of betrayal . There will be repercussions! ", hissed the priestess.

Stormfeather's jovial mood faded. " I know this. These are the actions of a madman , however it is a madman that I have sworn bonds of fealty and am bounded to by blood. ", the prince stated bitterly.

Sharliss was taken back by the sudden honesty of the man. She knew a little of northern politics, but she understood enough to piece together this situation. "Champion Felwind has decided to forsake his oaths of fealty . He has abandon his battle brothers to the giants. I guess he had already planned his betrayal before this attack. Most likely at the end of Council, when he relinquish his claim to the title of Grand Champion. ", noted the priestess as she pieced together the recent events.

Stormfeather nodded . The griffon prince was impressed at the quick thinking priestess. "Very good, but not completely accurate. The stories from Champion Franksada were the catalyst actually. The proverbial straw that broke the mammoth's back so to speak. Even though the Crab champion is a dolt in every sense of the word, his words rung true to pops . The fools close dealings with the Warmaster seemed to have put quite the scare in my father's seers, so he took his words very seriously. From his babbling they deduced the object in the Warmaster's care is something called the 'Aaapallo Myrskyjen' , some type of Ultimate Orb of Storms. In the right hands it could control winter on a scale no druid or storm spirit can. This was too much of a temptation for my father of course. ", shrugged the Griffon rider.

"Surely he knows he cannot win. Everyone will be against him. The knights, the giants, the elementals, and at this rate my father ...and my mother. ", she said with a shudder.

Stormfeather shrugged. "You are most likely correct, but one thing I've learned is to never underestimate pops . No matter how crazy it seems, he kind of manages to handle it. He's kind of a pro at directing insanity, of walking the tight rope of nuttiness. He's an expert at playing groups off against each other you know, and this is no different. Though I must admit the stakes are much higher.", replied the Griffon Prince.

Sharliss considered his words then nodded. "I see. He seeks to claim this orb by using myself as a hostage . This raid works to his advantage as well. I've noticed that none of your people are helping, so I guess they seek to weaken the rest of the Orders. Regardless of the victor , whoever is left standing will be too weak to resist the Griffon when they return with the orb. ", deduced the priestess.

Stormfeather laughed. "A close estimation of the situation. Your quick wits are only matched by your graceful beauty. ", complimented the prince. Sharliss blushed at his statement , even as she struggled against her bonds. She attempted to use her hidden tail to grasp a dagger she had hidden in her dress, but her lack of dexterity at using that appendage caused her to fumble and drop the blade.

"Please don't struggle. Those ropes are especially enchanted to drain magic . Not as good as disenchanter hair I hear, but very effective none the less. ", the Griffon Prince noted.

Sharliss glared helplessly at him and vowed to practice in the use of her seldom revealed tail incase this ever happened again. "So I am nothing but a pawn in your game then. Just another helpless hostage. ",complained the princess as she realized her plight.

The Griffon Prince frowned as he glanced at his distraught prisoner. "Uncomfortable ?", he asked.

The priestess nodded.

"You know, that whole political marriage thing was my idea . I thought it better to have a lovely ally then an angry hostage. Pops was against it, but reluctantly agreed. However , this giant attack has forced our hand. If you wish, I will free you from your uncomfortable position , if you promise not to flee. At least not on this flight, since that would be much too boring. ", noted Stormfeather with a wink.

Sharliss considered his statement and tested her bonds. She subtly attempted a spell but found the Griffon Prince did not lie about her bonds. She considered defying the cocky prince to the end but remembered her father's teachings. You can't win every battle, but you can still win the war. "Agreed . ", she reluctantly conceded.

"Excellent ! ", stated the Prince as he gave the ropes a quick twist. They instantly became slack as Sharliss found herself freed. Stormfeather then helped her onto the saddle and placed her directly before him. "I wish things were different you know. You are a lovely woman...almost as beautiful and attractive as my sister. ", he whispered as he smelled her hair.

Sharliss recoiled as she was both flattered and a bit disturbed by the odd statement.

* * *

><p>Champion Kalinka could hear heavy footsteps behind her. Her keen senses discerned they were much heavier then even his largest warrior . Even larger then the infamous Brandr the fat. She waited till the last moment , then ducked and swept her blade backwards.<p>

The Lionsword sliced the heavy armor and thigh of the Frost giant cleanly. Even though the monster was conditioned to ignore pain, it could not ignore the fact it was unable to stand. The giant fell heavily to its side and began to dissipate as the Champion readied for her next foe. The champion frowned as she watched the fading giant, and wondered how many of their foes were magically summoned monsters.

As Kalinka readied herself to face whatever came out of the mists. A stong gale blew past her and began clearing the area surrounding her of the fog. As her line of sight returned , she saw before her were a half dozen slain giants with Brita, the Mistress of the Lionblade standing atop of them. The champion noted that two of the giant corpses began to fade like the one she had dispatched. Hovering around the tattooed knight and her slain foes , were a half dozen spectral blades of various sizes ready to strike.

Kalinka breathed a sigh of relief as she saw her knight commander. She counted her as an ally but the last few weeks had put them on odds. The situation with the elves was a contentious point for the pair. The Champion never questioned her loyalty , even though she had always considered Brita something of an outsider and sometimes even a rival. When she first met her, she was a half elf of unknown heritage and the champion thought she was doomed to failure as a knight. Brita however, exceeded all expectations as a member of the Order of the Snow Lion and eventually help found the famous Knights of Winter. Kalinka knew that Brita was considered to replace her as Champion of the Lion, but she left the order mysteriously after a stint in Taer territory. She was recalled during the great battle with the Great Horde , and she returned as mysteriously as she left. During the battle with Yeenoghu , Brita's dark secret was revealed to Kalinka . She was the daughter of the Terror of the North, the eternal enemy of her order. Kalinka did not use this information to destroy her rival though, she was too noble and honorable to destroy in such a way. Since that time , Brita's power and influence had grown to such a point that she was a serious threat to her rule. Kalinka would have dueled her if not for the fact the half elf was loyal to the core . Even though the upstart Treekeeper had threatened using Brita's tenuous claim to the Ice elves old territory against her, Kalinka half suspected that the sorceress would not go along with the plan. Kalinka however relented and conceded the point when she noted the strain it had put on the Mistress of the Lionblade. There was an unspoken respect that bordered on friendship between the two that the Champion of the Snow Lion did not want to risk.

"Our charge against their center ...has not gone as planned. ", smiled Brita as she aligned her spectral constructs into a defensive circle of blades.

"I did not think the giants had such magics at their disposal. I thought they lost such skills centuries ago. This is like fighting the old legends .", nodded Kalinka as she strode to her Commander's side.

Brita hefted her own two handed blade at the ready and awaited a new foe from the mists. "If we don't survive this. I just want to say ...thank you...for not putting my loyalty to the ultimate test. ", commented the sorceress .

Kalinka knew what Brita meant. The half elf had already risked her life many times for the order and would probably do so again if asked. Placing the Order above her people though was a harder decision to make. Kalinka saw the relief on her knight commander's face, and was glad she withdrew her support from Felwind. "You had a perfectly legal claim to the land. I only did what was just. ", lied the champion with a smile.

Brita smiled even as the mists began to clear. The bulk of the giant army was in front of her while the rest of her Order's soldiers were scattered and were positioned well behind her. The giants roared a challenge as they charged the two warrior women. "Of course . ", smiled the sorceress even though she knew she faced certain death.

* * *

><p>"You sure they can't see us ?", asked Lord Quick as he scanned the battlefield below.<p>

"The cloak of the unseen renders us invisible . We will pass without trace unless of course they are deploying special detection magics. ", replied Ramirez curtly. The captain was still annoyed that they were retreating and would have preferred to engage their giant foes. Politically, the knights were painted as a possible foe, but the Captain knew for a fact that the giants were definite enemies.

Lord Quick nodded and noted that a rider with a bright silver blade mounted atop a golden dragon flew past the Indomitable and waved at the elf lord. Before the elf could comment to the captain, the dragon rider descended into the melee below. Lord Quick knew that he had been spotted and thought it might have repercussions in any future negotiations with the Northern Orders. Fleeing when a potential ally was in need of aid was considered bad form , even though there existed no current military assistance pact.

The elf lord hoped this would all be over soon. He blamed it all on his impulsiveness. First he aided the beautiful Sharliss in hopes of earning favor with her and her father. Then he allowed that idiot Hanis to babble that Sharliss had gone north. He should have killed the weaselly Zug folk when he had the chance and claim he had gone mad in his office or something. At worst it would have earned him a serious reprimand, at best he could have been praised a hero for putting down a dangerous lunatic. Now he blamed himself for bringing the Indomitable so close to the battle. He just wanted to have this diplomatic mission over with , he did not intend to put himself in harms way. Emperor Clovis simply wanted damage control , not to involve Grom in any military disputes of a foreign power.

"Why are we turning around ?", asked a nondescript clerk as he entered the open bridge.

Ramirez smiled and motioned his head to Lord Quick. "Sir Eggbert does not think it prudent to assist our allies. ", commented the captain with a shrug. Lord Quick did not like the tone either man was taking. The captain could get away with it due to his station, but this clerk was another matter. After the battle he made a note to have him lashed or whipped or whatever they do on these ships to restore discipline back to him.

The nondescript man looked down at the battlefield. Even though the mists were clearing, they still obscured the bulk of the battlefield. The clerk however , acted like he saw through the fog perfectly. "Brita...she's in trouble. Signal the other vessels to follow us. TURN THIS BOAT AROUND!", he declared angrily.

Lord Quick had enough of this man. It was bad enough he wasn't showing him any respect, but it was too much when he started to act like he was in charge. Clearly the strain of battle was too much for him and he had snapped. He turned to watch the Captain discipline the offending clerk, but was surprised to see Ramirez turning the vessel around, and giving the order to his bosun to signal the other ships.

"Look now! This is riduculou...", ordered Lord Quick before he fell on the floor unconscious.

"Should I toss him overboard. You know...casualty of war..blah blah blah...", smirked Ramirez to the former Sir Eggbert as he stood over Lord Quick after knocking him out with the hilt of his blade.

"Do whatever you like. ", shrugged Earl as he sheathed his sword.

The captain laughed nervously as he ordered his men to prepare the Dragon Golems and ready the bomb bays. "You know. Officially , he's the third most powerful man in the Grom hierarchy. As the current Sir Eggbert, he out ranks you badly. I am well with in my rights to slap you in irons. Or at least get some of my less favored officers to try...", teased Ramirez.

"I said do whatever you like. ", repeated Earl with a dangerous tone as he pointed to some obscure patch of fog. "The only thing that matters right now , is that we break that charge. I won't let the only thing worth saving in this frozen hell be trampled underfoot. ", he said grimly.

Ramirez raised an eyebrow at the unexpected reply. He wasn't sure if his old friend was joking or truthful , but thought he better treat it as a serious request. "Full speed ahead !", he declared. The captain had served Grom long enough to know that it was unwise to question the statement of its deadliest swordsman and assassin. Even though he was one of only a handful of people that knew who he was.

* * *

><p>"See if you can land on that one ! ", pointed Erland excitedly. Surry nodded and directed Pixietrampler towards a group of giants. The grey blue destrier subtly changed its descent in mid flight and flattened its surprised target. In a flash the Grand Champion hewed a nearby ogre, while the Treekeeper fanned a sheet of flames against some giants. As quickly as they arrived the trio soon took to the air again , as the horse thirsted for more blood. Even though they swiftly left, the knights that were battling those shocked giants quickly seized the initiative and overwhelmed their shattered and demoralized foes.<p>

"This horse is amazing! I want one! ", bellowed the Champion as he gripped the half elven rider tightly. Surry felt alive at his touch , but knew it was just an illusion. Whatever they shared so long ago was gone and could never be recovered. The fact that Erland had no recollection of the time they shared had hurt her deeper then she realized . Even though it took her awhile to recall, at least her excuse was that Erland looked a lot different then before. She recalled him as a handsome , lean young man, not a grizzled bear like warrior , while Surry looked pretty much the same as she did 30 years ago. She also recalled he used the name Arl and at no point mentioned he was a prince . She wondered if she was just a passing fling to him, as he sowed his wild oats. The thought infuriated her, but she kept silent. Surry considered confronting him with the past but the even more painful realization was that he simply forgot. Surry knew she could not face the fact that her most treasured memories were nothing to this man . It would be too much to bear.

"You look like you are in a daze . Are you all right? ", asked Erland with concern.

Surry nodded and whispered something to the destrier. The horse neighed and as it propelled itself higher then they had previously leaped before. The Treekeeper swept the thoughts of her failed romance from her mind as she directed the magical beast at a white drake being pursued by a golden dragon. The gold was equal size to the white, but it and its rider appeared to have the upper hand as it chased the battered white through the skies. Just as the gold was about to catch its evasive prey, Pixietrampler landed with a crunch on the white dragon's back. The wounded beast's eyes bulged in surprise as it fell out of the skies in an unnatural angle.

"That was my kill! Go find your own ! ", shouted Frank in anger.

"You snooze you loose sucka! ", shouted Surry in return as Pixietrampler bounded through the heavens.

"I can really get use to this. ", laughed Erland as he was caught up in the moment and flipped a friendly but rude gesture to the Crab Champion.

Surry nodded then pointed to the horizon. "What's wrong with this picture , Snappy?" , she asked as she inadvertently nudged her head against his broad chest.

The Grand Champion sighed. " I know. The Griffon are not here. They promised to aid the Warmaster, but that would require only a few companies of their riders. I see only a handful engaging the enemy, and I doubt they fly the griffon's colors. Most likely defectors or mercenaries. " , answered Erland.

"Yes...I suppose that's another thing for your 'to do' list after this mess is sorted out. ", concured the Treekeeper.

"Well at least I can scratch off going to war with Grom. I was going to declare war on them for their cowardice, but I guess they were just positioning themselves for an attack run. I honestly don't know sky ship tactics, but I won't question their effectiveness.", shrugged the Grand Champion.

Surry gave Erland a puzzled look. The Grand Champion simply pointed to his nose then towards a patch of empty sky.

The treekeeper stared at whatever he was pointing at but could not see a thing. She was curious at his comment though , and enchanted her eyes with the spell of true sight. It was a grossly expensive spell to cast on a regular basis, but she saw no harm in employing it during this battle. To her surprise , she saw not one but three Grommish skyships heading towards the center of the mists. As her eyes glowed magically she could see through the clouds and saw that the knights of the lion were being decimated by both a real and a summoned army of giants.

In her opinion , Brita was probably the most powerful mortal she personally knew, out classing even her father or the mysterious Tyris, Surry instinctively felt her mother was in grave danger. Under normal circumstances her mother could escape, but Surry sensed some kind of barrier was erected to prevent magical evasion. Even if Brita's magic overcame this enchantment, Surry had doubts her mother would abandon her comrades. She would most likely die fighting with them, like a true knight of the Snow Lion.

Surry directed Pixietrampler towards the melee, but Erland shook his head. "I understand your concern, but they have things under control. ", he said as he pointed to two distant groups closing in on the main camp. Even Surry's trained archer eyes would have trouble discerning the two approaching hordes, but with her magically enhanced vision she saw it was the Order of the Boar and the Order of the Mammoth. The two Orders that had to camp the bulk of their knights far from Narwhal hold so they can graze their mounts. Surry guessed that unless the giants had another trick up their sleeve they would soon be caught between hammer and anvil. The Treekeeper knew first hand at the power and battlefield control the Grommish skyships projected and with the approach of the arguably two most powerful Orders , the giant attack seemed doomed to failure.

Erland pointed to the harbor, and Surry nodded . She wanted to aid her mother, but if anyone could out till reinforcements arrived it was Brita. She had complete trust in the Grand Champions battle senses.

"I smell an ancient enemy there. A foe as powerful as the Great Squirrel. The nautical equivalent to the dreaded 'Armaggedon engine. " , snarled Erland with a fierce edge to his voice.

As the magical destrier bounded through the clouds , the Grand Champion's suspicions were confirmed. Surry felt a cold chill as she gazed upon the monstrous tentacled monster attacking the harbor.

* * *

><p>"Pffttt...Hafgufa. This is a no win situation. Even if we beat this loser creature, no one is gonna take me seriously or shower me with praise.", scoffed Zax as he rode Bucky and lead his minor cavalry group forward. His two new squires, Rollo and Ogela had their own light horses , while Darwen and Petrus summoned mounts of their own. Adria hovered above them in her aerial form, while Isula hitched a ride on Darwen's horse. The tiefling half expected the miniature giant to revert to her monstrous size, but he assumed it would probably sow even more panic in the populace. The last thing they needed was a frost giant in their midst and trying to explain to the defenders that she was on their side.<p>

As Zax's group rode closer, the tiefling was suddenly concerned at the vast size of their opponent. Even through the mists, it projected an enormous aura of size and power. "It didn't look this big at the top of the harbor. ", squeaked Zax frightfully.

Guessing from its mist shaded silhouette, the tentacle beast had roughly thirty massive tentacles, each the length of a Lemball field and the thickness of a wagon. They all seem to sprout from a barnacled covered plated head, similar to that of the dragon turtles they engaged a few days ago. The creature destroyed both flimsy wooden buildings and heavy stone fortifications as it pulled itself slowly forwards towards the main keep that guarded the harbor.

"Err...your orders sir?", asked Rollo as realization of the full size of the monster sapped his courage.

Zax had no idea what this creature was let alone have a plan to deal with it. He turned to his companions and saw the fright in their faces as well. He considered ordering a tactical withdraw or something of that nature, but the small giant interrupted him.

"The Hafgufa can be summoned it is not controlled. The price of its servitude is too high, so it runs rampant . It exists only to destroy, regardless of its target. We just need to keep its attention till whatever binds it to this reality fades. ", noted Isula.

Petrus nodded in agreement with the miniature giant. "Yes that makes sense. This creature is clearly more powerful then any summons, so I assume it has been brought forth with a gate or a similar spell. Due to the obvious power of this monster, I will hazard the guess that its presence has not been compensated for, therefore it lashes at all in its path. I assume the giant longships in the distance await the ties that bind the Hafgufa to this reality to fade before they swoop in on us. ", explained the summoner.

"So our best course of action is to lead this creature away , perhaps even towards the giants. Two birds with one stone. ", noted Darwen with a glimmer of hope.

Isula shook her head, "Although such a plan is feasible in theory, it would be a very difficult task. Even I hesitate at attracting its full attention . ", the small giant warned. "We might be able to lure it ...if we attack it in phases . We could divert its attention slowly in increments till it is brought towards the giants. I foresee heavy losses with little chance of success with such a plan though. ", analyzed Isula.

The group hesitated as they mulled over the giant's grizzly plan. The thought of sacrificing yourself to a plan that probably won't work was not especially appealing.

"Wait..wait...you mentioned compensation. Do you mean it had a contract that wasn't fulfilled? Is that why its pissed off ?", asked Zax after he pondered Petrus's words.

"Not quite , but close. I won't get into the specifics, but creatures that are brought into this plane with a gate spell require some form of payment, typically the amount scales with its power. If it doesn't receive such payment, then it will either return where it came from, or unleash its wrath indiscriminately. I will hazard a guess , that whatever brought this creature into this reality had not appeased it with such a tribute. ", explained the summoner.

Zax smiled, "Oh is that all? Just leave this to me then. ", beamed the tiefling.


	60. Chapter 60

Brita Axeldottir stood her ground while swinging her blade ,Windsplitter, at the remaining giant. The giant blocked her weapon , but opened itself to a strike from the Lion Champion. Kalinka seized the opportunity and feinted to the left to get behind their foe. She quickly stabbed upwards with her blade, tearing even the heavy giant armor like parchment. The giant grunted in pain as it tried to ignore the wound. Despite its staunch bravery, the giant stumbled and fell to one knee. Brita swiftly dispatched the stricken giant with a clean blow through the throat.

The monstrous warrior snarled at the strike and attempted to rise again , seemingly with will power alone. It rose several inches before crashing futilely into the ground.

Brita readied her weapon and scanned for nearby enemies through the fog. The strange mists had appeared from nowhere, blunting the charge of the amassed Order of the Lion and throwing their battle lines into chaos. The Mistress of the Lion blade found herself fighting back to back with the Champion of the Snowlion. The pair swept the foes that assailed them with cold efficiency as the mists swirled around them.

The Mistress of the Lionblade stood at the ready. Her order's bitter dispute with the returning Ice Elves still stung as the Knight commander was herself a half elf. She wore an ornate silver chain shirt , a large sweeping blue cloak and high leather boots. She was tall and had very pale almost white skin . She had long loose dark hair, and her exposed skin seemed covered in dragon tattoos. Most people regarded her oddly beautiful, but despite her appearance there was an aura of lonely detachment about her.

In the heat of battle , the half elf sorceress spared a glance at one of her daggers and found strength in it. It was a plain looking weapon, but it was exquisitely balanced and lethally honed. It was given to her by an interesting man she recently met. He was a ruthless killer with questionable ethics, but some how their brief turbulent relationship instilled her with a renewed optimism. She wasn't sure why , but she honestly believed that even though they had parted ways, he had changed for the better from their short romance. It was silly and foolish to assume a hardened slayer of men could change his dark path in life so easily simply from the passion they shared , but it was also her favorite indulgent belief.

As the battle raged , the mist began to dissipate slightly. Brita then saw the mailed ranks of giants closing in on Kalinka and herself and she knew it was no time to hold back. Despite all the talk about sorceresses being mindless glass cannons by other arcane spell weavers, Brita knew there was a subtle art to success. Sorcerers were generally considered powerful conduits of untamed power while wizards were thought of being artists who finessed their opponents. Even though few could match her supply of arcana, the sorceress was quite skilled at holding back magical reserves and skillfully employing her magic to maximum effect. She smiled as she considered herself more adept at managing her power then her wizard daughter who ironically was more capable at unleashing destruction. Regardless of how she handled her magic, the Mistress of the Lionblade knew that this was no time to employ her magic frugally.

"Stay close. " , whispered the tattooed half elf at the haggard champion. Kalinka hesitated , most likely due to her haughty nature at accepting commands from a subordinate, but the Snow lion champion relented and obeyed. Almost at once Brita surrounded the pair with several concentric rings of fire. Brita could have directed the flames outwards from the wall , but she also applied the flames inwards as well . She understood the savage nature of her opponent , and expected them to crash the barrier soon. Before the flames could scorch the pair, she quickened her casting and protected both of them with a ward against flames.

The giants roared in anger and , as expected, ignored the fiery wall. Several bare chested giants leaped through the barriers and found themselves ablaze from the inferno that awaited them. Kalinka and Brita swiftly dispatched the burned berzerkers with their blades as quickly as they advanced.

Their enemies changed their futile tactic, and a rank of giants formed a firing line and readied massive crossbows.

"This is new. ", thought Brita as she prepared a deflection spell.

A massive volley of giant sized bolts flew at the pair and Brita was caught off guard by the strength of their attack. Kalinka calmly batted the bolts away from her, while Brita's magical shield deflected most of the attack. A charred bolt did manage to pierce her barrier though, and the Mistress of the Lionblade was impaled through the stomach by a massive shaft.

The snow lion champion ran to her knight commander's side, but Brita waved her off. With a strength and determination that belied her lithe form, Brita snapped the bolt and pushed the remaining fragment through her broken body. She felt her life rapidly draining, but she expended her limited divine healing on herself and her vitality partially returned. Although her paladin training was limited, her vast reserves of will power gave her formidable healing powers.

The Mistress of the Lion blade was slow to get up, but she rose in time to place a force wall around herself as the sky began to rain boulders. Her barrier survived the withering assault, but Brita noticed too late that Kalinka was struck several times by them.

Brita did not see all the rocks that struck her Champion , but the last one seemed to smash into her head and sent Kalinka spinning to the ground. The half elf sorceress was still too weak to drag her friend behind cover, but instead used telekinetic magic to lift her behind the force barrier.

Brita suspected that she held the line of battle. If they fell before the rest of the Order of the Snowlion could reorganize then the giants would most likely route their forces. She would have stayed and fought till the end, but the life of her often fictitious ally was in danger. She knew that travel magic would most likely be impaired, but attempted to whisk them both to safety anyways. Sadly her suspicions were correct and her short dimensional portal had failed.

The Sorceress knew the giants were regrouping and closing in so she unleashed her most powerful spell. The black blade of destruction seemed to spin from a single thread of darkness , growing in form till it formed a large ebon sword. Brita motioned it forward to her enemies and the baleful construct flew at them like some harbinger of death. A giant attempted to swat the weapon from the sky, but as his axe touched the blade, both the implement and the giant were disintegrated , leaving only dust and a few glowing embers. The blade traveled in a deadly path through the giants , vaporizing all in its path, but the giants still advanced. They avoided her fiery ring, and instead set several bands of giants to bombard her position with boulders and crossbow bolts to pin her. Brita could see the rest of the giants smash into the still reforming ranks of knights and elves . Their size and strength were more then a match for her allies skill and courage.

Brita scanned the battlefield in despair , and wondered if this was the end of the Order of the Snowlion.

* * *

><p>"You want us ...", asked Darwen as she paused and then dramatically pointed to herself and the others around her.<p>

"..to fight that creature? ", continued the bladesinger as she paused dramatically again and pointed to the massive tentacled creature that was smashing and crawling up the harbor.

"As we engage this thing, you will then move in and dispatch it? ", asked Darwen incredulously.

"More or less . You guys keep it occupied, while I unleash my ...errr...unmatched fury against the Half goof ball. ", replied Zax. " I see you have reservations about this, but can't we speed things up here. The city is getting wrecked as we speak. ", urged the tiefling.

Darwen stared at Zax and gave him a "do you take me for stupid " look. . Zax replied by motioning her aside with a slight motion of his head, as he returned a "Trust me, I know what I'm doing. " look.

Before Darwen could corner the tiefling and retrieve an explanation,Petrus interrupted the pair. "Zax is right. We don't have time to question his plan. Our friend here has surprised me many times in the past, and I will trust his judgement. I will engage the legendary Hafgufa while he dispatches it. ", stated the summoner.

Darwen looked at Petrus with surprise . Even though Zax's new squires seemed nervous and apprehensive, Rollo and Ogela seemed ready to follow this suicide mission as well. Isula did not seem to be too concerned and just stared at the destruction calmly.

The bladesinger shook her head and then dragged Zax to the side. "Look Zax. I trust you. I really do, but if this is one of your " let's push my buddies into the path of the monster , while I run away " plans, then this has got to stop. Look at that monster! It's gigantic ! If we stay as a group, we can chip away at a tentacle till the rest of the Orders arrive. We don't need to split up now. Don't run away , and make me lose faith in you. ", pleaded the elf with fear in her voice.

Zax shook his head. " Don't be silly. I'm not going to run away. I'll be with Adria, and I doubt she'll let me. It sounds weird, but I have a plan. ", smiled the tiefling.

* * *

><p>As Brita stood over her fallen champion, she felt her magics beginning to unravel. She knew her enchantments were flawlessly weaved, but she sensed a greater power at work. The sorceress knew that not even an archmage could dispel her magics so easily. Even a powerful antimagic arua would have trouble penetrating her epic enchantments. She felt such unresistable power before. First while battling the demon lord Yeenoghu, second in the presence of the Infernal Archduke Bel , and lastly when locked in battle with the Avatar of Myleka. Brita guessed she was facing either a minor deity or perhaps a powerful artifact.<p>

She saw that the remaining ranks of the lion were barely holding back the giant surge. The entire battle anchored on her holding the center. Her spells had done a remarkable job at first, but as her force barriers and fire walls dropped she knew it would all come down to her skill with the blade and courage of heart. Even her beloved spectral blades soon vanished , as the last of her spells unraveled, and a hail of boulders descended on her. Brita sliced one with Windsplitter and attempted to telekeneticaly repelled the rest , hoping the enemy could cancel her enchantments but she could still employ magic, although briefly . She felt a growing resistance against her magic and was barely able to incant her spell. It was sufficient to hold the attack at bay , but she knew such expenditures of power would even drain her vast reserves quickly. It would only be a matter of time before they overwhelmed her and routed her Order.

Brita prepared for the next wave of boulders , but instead was greeted by a spearhead of giants charging her position. From their heavy armor and rudimentary formation, she guessed they were some form of elite troops . At their head was a fearsome towering giant wielding an oversized runed cover black axe. The sorceress infused her blade with lightning and sent it spinning towards her new foes. The blade spun like a saw as it struck the lead giant and tore through his side. It continued its deadly path through her attackers, but it suddenly wobbled in mid flight and fell lifeless to the dragon. Brita's had expected the magic to guide Windsplitter back to her, but it appeared that her spells were disrupted yet again. Though the charging giants were gravely wounded by the attack, their leader ignored his wounds and shouted for his men to continue the assault.

Brita fell back and noted her magic would not save her in light of the recent events. As the giants charged, she scanned an elder , almost regal giant waving a large staff . She instantly knew it was the infamous King FrostReaver and suspected he was employing one of the legendary Jotun treasures to cancel her spells. She scowled at herself and wished she spotted him earlier as she braced for the charge.

She was prepared to battle the giants with her plain gifted dagger but knew it was scant hope against an avalanche of frost, steel, and fury. As the giants almost reached her , the world suddenly stopped as it shattered around her.

A thunderous sound filled the air as fire filled the battlefield. Brita blinked and noted the center rank of giants were engulfed in flames . She looked up in surprise and saw a Skyship overhead dropping barrels and urns that exploded in a fiery explosion as they landed on her foes. She did not detect the vessel earlier , but was thankful for its presence as the Grommish Warmachine rained death to her foes. The ship suddenly faltered and lurched dangerously on its side, most likely from the magic negating aura. Despite its failed attack it had thrown the giant army into confusion . The ranks of the lion were still beleaguered but it was a much needed respite .

"The bearded one... ", coughed Kalinka as she struggled back to her feet. Even though the Snow Lion champion was battered and bloodied , there was still plenty of fight in her. "We need to kill that one. ", she intoned as she pointed at the Giant King.

Brita nodded and staunched herself as she faced the army of giants closing in on them.

* * *

><p>"We'll form a skirmish line with Isula spearheading the point. The two squires will flank her , while Petrus and I lay down spell support. Do not advance past Isula.", barked Darwen.<p>

Isula shrugged and readied her bladed staff, while Petrus saluted sharply at the command. The two squires though seemed apprehensive at the order and looked at each other nervously.

Darwen stared at the pair and understood their wariness. The elf had reservations about Zax's plan as well. From their time together, tactical , strategic, and clever were not words she would have used to describe the tiefling. The plan seemed dangerous almost borderline suicidal, they were to engage this colossal creature while Zax set himself up to vanquish it. When she dissected his simple plan it seemed likely that his companion was setting himself up to flee. She knew that Zax was a compulsive liar, but he told her directly that he wasn't going to run. Darwen trusted the tiefling with her heart, but her head was telling her otherwise. A shadow of doubt fell on her. She recalled distinctly how he was flirting with the captain, and remembered the pain it caused her. Darwen knew that Zax had to play his role as a dashing hero to secure passage, but Blaze's attentions to him and his eagerness to accept them gnawed at her. The elf also harbored suspicions that Zax had plans to sail off with the Acheron as soon as possible. Was he going to take her along? Even though Darwen had told him that she wished to be with her people , did the tiefling make other plans to leave her company? Did he set this entire scenario up just to be rid of her?

"Ahem...", coughed Isula.

Darwen blinked at the miniature giants. She blushed as she realized she was caught up in her own self doubts.

"Are we gonna do this? ", demanded Petrus.

Darwen nodded, whatever doubts or insecurities she had vanished as she heard the screams of panicked civilians. She could wail or whine about trust issues or betrayal later, right now she had a job to do . "FORWARD! ", the elf shouted as she spurred her phantom mount forward.

* * *

><p>The Indomitable lurched dangerously to the side, throwing the crew about . Fortunately, most of them wore a safety harness, and after a brief free fall, they were able to regain their footing and adjust the riggings. A white dragon slightly larger then a wagon raked the ship's hull futilely before lunging at a precariously crewman. The sailor screamed as the draconic monster pulled him from the safety of the ropes, snapping his harness in the process, and dropping him to his doom. The beast was met with a hail of crossbow bolts that pierced its hide, forcing it to retreat back into the fog.<p>

"They have some sort of anti magic field ! The Invincible and the Republic...err Imperial seem unaffected though. " , shouted Ramirez. "Turn the vessel around . We'll make another run at high altitude or skirt this field's edge."

"We continue. ", ordered Earl with a fierce determination.

Ramirez fumed. As Captain of the Indomitable , he was infuriated when his orders were over turned. Especially if it involved the safety of his ship. "Listen Earl! Since that time I discovered the Great Plateau, I've had the Indomitable rigged to be able to glide or to maintain some semblance of power even in an anti magic aura. However, that's under perfect conditions, not while we are being pelted by rocks and attacked by Dragons! ", yelled the captain. "I'm not putting my ship and crew at risk , while you play knight in shining armor to some bimbo maiden you met. ", snorted the captain angrily.

A dagger whistled from the assassin's grip and embedded itself into the mast. It sliced a few of Ramirez's prized locks as it narrowly missed his head.

"The next objection to my order, the dagger will land in your eye. ", warned Earl coldly.

Ramirez had only witnessed the assassin's lethal skill a few times, but he knew his dangerous reputation far too well. The captain reluctantly waved his crew to deploy the auxiliary power as they continued their bombing run. The crew were nervous but obeyed their captain without hesitation. Two make shift wings were cranked into place and a heavy tarp was stretched taut along them. The skyship seemed to regain a measure of balance as it continued its attack run. Flaming oil, dragon powder urns, and alchemist fire were rained down on the giants as boulders pounded and cracked the hull of the ship in return.

Ramirez shook his head and knew they were doomed. Typical Grommish tactics when engaging giants called for high altitude strategic bombing. It was not a decisive attack, but at least the giant would be unable to effective strike back. Also , giants typically had low morale, and even a few fiery strikes from an unreachable foe were often enough to scatter them. They were currently deploying close tactical strafing runs. A favored tactic against most foes, but very risky against giants. A skyship's armored hull was reinforced to take enormous amounts of punishment, but giants were one of their few opponents that could crack their defenses. Add to the fact, that most of the Indomitable's magical protections were stripped, the Captain figured this might be his beloved vessel's last flight. The only saving grace was that the Skyship's fearsome arsenal was being deplolyed to maximum affect. If they were to be destroyed, the giants would certainly remember them.

Ramirez retrieved the dagger that grazed his head and walked to the nondescript assassin. He noted that the man was scanning the battle field intently, almost nervously. The Captain knew he should have been plotting this man's demise to save his ship, but he could only laugh ." Hah .. this maiden of yours must be pretty special...If we make it out of this mess...you are going to have to introduce me to this lady of yours. ", joked Ramirez.

Earl's shoulders slumped. "She's not really my lady. We sort of had a falling out the last I saw her. In fact I'm not even sure she's here, its just a hunch. ", the assassin admitted in a rarely heard sheepish tone.

Rameriz stared in disbelief. " I risk my life, my crew, and most importantly my ship for a woman that may or may not be here, and may or may not care enough to even give a second glance at you...HAH I knew there's a reason I always liked you !", bellowed the captain .

* * *

><p>Zax watched in awe as Adria easily carried him under one arm and Bucky under the other. The ebon eidolon flew high in the air seemingly ignoring her passenger's weight. He half expected his trusty mount would panic and ...buck...but the docile pony seemed content at simply staring at the tiefling's pockets. Zax breathed a sigh of relief, Bucky wasn't essential to his plan but it was comforting that he had a contingency planned if things went bad.<p>

This Hafgufa monster had carved a path of destruction through the harbor as it made its way to the fortifications. Zax noted that the knights defending the docks, were firing batteries of crossbows , ballista and catapults at the monster . Bolts of lightning and balls of fire also struck it but it continued its advance. It was hard to judge through the remaining fog, but it appeared that their attacks were wounding the creature. A severed tentacle the size of a whale and rivers of black blood were a testament to the defender's ferocity, however the tiefling noted they seemed to just make the monster angrier.

"Over there Adria. I can't see the thing clearly, the mists are still shrouding it. ", shouted the tiefling through the winds as he pointed to a battered but still standing tower close to the monster. "Land there when Darwen gets its attention."

Adria remained mostly impassive since Petrus summoned her to his side again, but the last comment brought a disapproving stare towards Zax. "Do not think that it will be an easy task for even the talented Darwen to simply "get the attention " of the Hafgufa. Even if they distract the beast, Dragon's flame may not be able to vanquish it. Your sword drinks souls...the Hafgufa does not possesses one, at least not in the normal sense. ", warned the eidilon.

"Dragon's Flame? Oh yeah..I forgot all about it again. But please, a big crawling squid with a goofy name...how tough can it be? I bet that sea troll or those dragon turtles are tougher than that thing. ", replied Zax unfazed by her glare.

Adria sighed. "Ignorant tiefling ... The Hafgufa is a legendary beast. Akin to the feared Jabberwock, the Tanes, the Midgard serpent, or the Tarrasque or on this world the Great Squirrel. It is a monster of myth made flesh from ancient magics. If you do not believe me , at least take heed of my warning. Do not gaze too long at the monster directly. To do so is to invite insanity and madness. I suspect the mists that accompanied its arrival was originally used by its summoner to prevent himself from losing his mind. You can view it peripherally , or glance at it in passing, but do not look it in the eye. It is a creature that exists partially in the far realms, to gaze at it in its entirety is enough to dive one mad. ", commented the eidilon.

Zax looked puzzled. "Wait...don't look it in the eye? How the hell am I suppose to confront it ? Oh wait...I get it. It's kind of like that sunny day I was training with Darwen in front of everybody. She was wearing that gauzy white shirt...and it was really hot . Her shirt was getting soaked with sweat , and showing off her tats. I wanted to just stop and marvel at those puppies, but I knew I would be dead if I got caught gazing . The Half goof ball thing is something like that right? ", asked the tiefling .

Adria rolled her eyes. "Yes...something like that. "

* * *

><p>Kalinka was a terrifying sight to behold. The Snow Lion Champion sliced her opponent's leg cleanly as she ducked under its giant axe. Then she pounced on the back of an ogre, stabbing it in the spine, before leaping at another foe. The Champion's fury seemed unstoppable as she stopped the giant's advance single handedly with a wall of steel.<p>

Brita was considered a master swordswoman, but she admitted her skill paled compared to that of her leader's. The elf often augmented her own skill with magic, but her power was currently stripped from her by the Frost Giant King. Normally she would summon another bow or sword if she found herself disarmed, but even that was unavailable to her. She was unable to scavenge a weapon from a fallen foe as only the fallen giant weapons were around her. Without Windsplitter she only had a scavenged club to battle with . Even without her trusty sword, the half elf managed to dispatch the wounded giants, ogres and warbeasts left in Kalinka's wake with the crude weapon.

A particularly brutish looking Ogre slipped past the Lion Champion and bore down on Brita with a massive club upraised. The half elf judged his speed and easily slipped inside his reach . There wasn't enough room to use her club so she slashed the creature's hip with her gifted dagger. Brita expected simply a raking wound , which she would then capitalize on by a few more successive stabs and slashes, but was taken back at the plain weapon's sharpness. The unassuming dagger tore cleanly through armor, hide, flesh and bone as easily as any knight's blade. The Ogre turned to face her but fell to the ground as it hadn't even realized the wound it suffered. The dagger did not slice all the way through the upper leg of the monster, but its sudden shift it momentum snapped the remainder of the limb in an unnatural angle.

The creature roared in anger then in fear, as it's small brain realized the turn of events.

Brita stared at the lethal dagger . It was a plain simple weapon, but came through for her in the end. A sigh of regret escaped the half elf's lips. She was a paladin he was an assassin, it never would have worked. The mistress of the Lionblade frowned as she followed her leader and resumed the battle.

* * *

><p>Rollo and Olga slashed at the massive tentacle writhing in the ruined building, but their blows merely bounced off.<p>

Isula's spear was more successful as her weapon seemed to almost melt the creature's flesh on contact.

The trio had dismounted when they neared the monster, but their overall efforts were pitiful at best.

"What are we doing? ", shouted Squire Rollo as he picked his way through the rubble, his voice cracking as his courage barely held.

Isula ignored the rough terrain and his question and slashed with her spear again. It once again cut a swathe of flesh from the tentacle . The appendage wasn't idle though, as it swung its incredible mass towards her. The miniature giant was forced to create a shield of ice as she shuffled backwards to avoid the tip of the tentacle . Before the giant could breath a sight of relief, smaller tentacles erupted from the main one and attempted to ensnare or drag her.

Squire Olga slashed at these new smaller appendages and managed to slice a few off before they grappled the giant. Isula's face and arm were quickly wrapped by these thin rubbery tentacles , but the miniature giant easily snapped or savagely bit them off before she retreated further back.

"We are testing the creature's range. It can not advance further towards the fortifications if it wishes to engage us. ", commented Olga grimly as she resumed her flanking position with Isula.

"Ummm...what happens if it decides when we are more annoying then the catapults? ", asked Rollo as he parried a smaller tentacle with his shield. The offending appendage quickly darted back before lunging forward, entwining the squire's shield in the process. Rollo was briefly pulled off balanced by the tentacle, but swiftly released the shield before it dragged him to certain doom. The momentum almost caused him to stubble on some loose timbers and fall on his face, but Isula's spear blunted his fall and flicked him back behind behind her.

"...thanks...", stammered Rollo, but the small giant simply scowled.

"You talk too much. ", she stated before sweeping her spear in a wide arc to keep the tentacles at bay. She followed her attack by summoning a small ball of ice which launched it self towards the beast. It struck further down the tentacle and a large area of it froze, cracked then shattered from the monster's movements.

The trio settled into a pattern where Isula stabbed and slashed the main tentacle while Rollo and Olga stabbed the smaller ones that counterattacked. The giant seemed more concerned about luring and positioning the appendage rather then damaging it. When the trio finally managed to bring the appendage into an open street. The offending tentacle reared skyward when it was freed from obstruction and threatened to smash the small group with sheer weight and power.

Before the appendage could batter them , the base of the tentacle shuddered and fell into a massive pit underneath the ground. Massive icicles pinned the tentacle in place as a hiss of acid and sulfur filled the air. The smell was quickly replaced by the smell of seared flesh as a massive ball of fire erupted in the pit.

Rollo recalled walking in this area previously and did not recall a giant acid filled pit, so he simply chalked it up to some sort of magic. He scanned the area and noticed the elf named Darwen and the wizardy guy called Petrus in a stone building . He heard the two were suppose to be their support , but did not see them initially. He guessed they must have sought a hardened position and waited till Isula had given them a prime target.

A tiny red ball streaked from the stone building and into the pit, and another fiery explosion rocked the tentacle. The foul appendage thrashed violently into the nearby buildings, before unbelievably it snapped off and fell still quivering on the ground. Rollo's jaw dropped as he witnessed the small victory against the impossibly large monster. The knight's courage suddenly vanished though , as the mighty Hafgufa stopped its attack on the Harbor's fortification. The creature's slow advance came to a halt as it shifted its titanic weight towards the small band. The creature lurched forwards and several of the massive appendages crashed through the buildings to replace the one that had fallen.

A tentacle roughly swept the street and easily knocked Isula and Olga aside . Rollo managed to roll to the side in time and saw his companions sent flying . He half expected the smaller tentacles to ensnare and entwine the pair, but the Hafgufa was not concerned with them. The squire shuddered as he watched a massive tentacle smash into the stone building hosting the two spell casters.

The building shuddered and shook but it weathered the initial strike. Walls of fire and lances of lightning struck the tentacle in return, causing massive burns and char marks along the length of the appendage. Rollo guessed that the fury of the renewed attack prevented the pair from concentrating their fire like they did to the first tentacle.

The squire thought about fleeing , but instead found renewed courage in his heart. The casters were strangers to their land but they were prepared to sacrifice themselves to save it. He could do no less. Rollo scrambled to his feet and swung his blade with both hands. He channeled all his might into the blow and felt an almost divine vigor flow through him. While his blade simply bounced off the slimy hide previously, his weapon now sliced and opened a river of black blood . Rollo was surprised at the effectiveness of the attack, but noted grimly that it was a mere prick compared to the colossal Hafgufa.

* * *

><p>The small white dragon shredded the wing of the Indomitable and the ship lurched dangerously once again. A nondescript man seemed to have fallen or tumbled from the diving ship, but somehow reversed his momentum at the last moment. The man somehow lightly sprang from the shattered tarp and somehow sliced the dragon's right wing cleanly off as he drifted by.<p>

It was ironic that the beast destroyed the ship's wing just to have his own severed as well. The dragon howled at the outrage it had received. The beast clawed desperately to the broken wing, and managed to sink its razor sharp claws into them. It then pulled itself towards the main hull of the plummeting ship where it was confronted by what appeared to be the Captain of the vessel.

The dragon knew its magical ice breath would not work here, but it extended its serpentine neck and lunged at the captain with its deadly fang. The man calmly pointed what looked like a wand towards the dragon . Despite the pain of losing a wing, the dragon almost chortled in glee as the foolish human attempted to use a wand against him. These foolish humans were nothing but amusement thought the dragon as its fangs extended in earnest.

*BANG*

* * *

><p>The headless dragon fell from the plummeting ship's hull.<p>

"Hah! I took out a real dragon with my dragon golem! How's that for ironic!", laughed the Captain.

* * *

><p>Kalinka and Brita fought towards the giant command group. The Snow Lion Champion ignored the fact that Grommish Skyships were harassing their foes, or her own forces were still locked in battle behind the wake of destruction she had left. She only knew that victory depended on Brita's magic, and Brita's magic was currently nullified by the Frost Giant King.<p>

A final band of giants blocked their path, lead by a particularly large and dangerous looking brute. He had a braided dark beard and hefted what looked like an obsidian axe. From her previous skirmishes and wars with the giants, Kalinka guessed he was a Jarl or chieftain of some sort and the other giants were some sort of honor guard or a cadre of thanes. The giants raised their axes and awaited their attack, while the pair of warrior women paused before their foe. These foes were different then the barbaric giants and ogres she had fought before, they were organized and better equipped. Kalinka admitted even Brita and herself were no match for them with the element of magic taken away from them. There would be no purpose served if they charged and were ruthlessly slaughtered. The advantage was still with the giants as the aerial assault would soon waver and the giant army was slowly pressing forward. Kalinka guessed the Jarl knew she had to make the first fatal move.

Some part of her mind warned her of the danger if she charged , but the Lion Champion accepted it. This was not a battle where one could retreat or regroup, the survival of her people was in jeopardy. If the giants routed them today, the entire north would be in danger. If they seized the vital coastal ports they would be effectively cut off from their main allies ...the accursed Grommers. As much as she loathed their mercantile ways , Kalinka admitted they were an important cog to the new north's economy. Gone were the days of a purely military based way of life, the Orders of the Great north now depended on trade and commerce. That is, if they could survive this day.

"Brita...I heard rumors you've taken a Grommer into your bed. Are they true? ", the Champion asked offhandedly as she studied her foe.

Brita was taken back by the odd question and hesitated. "No... I mean yes...I mean we had a falling out. ", she replied finally.

Kalinka nodded ,"Is he a good man? A man of integrity? ", pressed the champion as she unfastened the straps of her armor.

"No... but he is good to me .", the confused sorceress replied as she glanced at her dagger.

"I suppose that is good enough. ", Kalinka sighed as she turned to her comrade. She presented the reforged ancestral blade of the lion to the surprised Brita before taking a step back. "The north is different now. I am sorry for all the pain I've caused your people and mine. I can never make peace with common elves or Grommers. I only trust you because you overcome an impossibly high standard of courage and honor that even my fiercest knights would have trouble passing. If I am to die this day , I pass my leadership to you. I give you the sword that was reforged, the blade your father broke to slay the demon , use it well as you lead our Order. ", the champion stated before convulsions rocked her body.

Brita averted her gaze as Kalinka's body spasmed and warped in front of her. Soon the noble Kalinka was transformed to a mammoth sized bestial White Lioness. It unleashed an ear splitting roar that shook the ground and heavens. Fear crept into the giants resolve while courage boosted the knights. With a ferocious growl , Kalinka, Champion of the Snow Lion charged and crashed into the axes of the awaiting giants.

Brita was stunned at the turn of events. She knew that Hero of the Boar had lycanthrope blood but did not suspect her leader did as well. She watched in pride as the massive beast clawed and bit the giants even as they hewed her with their axes. Despite her unleashed strength, the sorceress knew that even her Champion would eventually fall from the giant defenders. She gripped the blade of the lion firmly in her hand and dashed forwards. Instead of aiding Kalinka, she nimbly evaded the occupied giants and charged directly towards the Giant King.

* * *

><p>Darwen pushed Petrus to the side as a massive tentacle crashed through the stone building. She expected herself to be instantly crushed by the appendage but instead it wrapped and slithered its smaller tentacles around her arms and legs.<p>

The elf screamed in horror as they continued to entwine her waist, hair and throat. Darwen attempted to intone a spell but a tentacle seemed poised at her action and darted into her mouth. The elf squirmed and thrashed under the Hafgufa's grasp but it was futile. Darwen shuddered as she realized she could have easily been ripped limb to limb, but the slimy tentacles seemed intent on taking her prisoner. She knew she was caught and some dark sinister fate awaited her.

"Your power is great. I can not absorb your soul...but I can make you mine...", whispered an alien voice in her mind. Darwen froze and a cold chill ran through her body as a vile liquid began coating her body. She quivered in fright as all her fears and insecurities flooded into her. Thoughts of heroism and bravery fled her as she guessed what dark fate awaited her. She quivered in despair as she could only think of how Zax had abandoned her.

Before the last shreds of sanity were wiped from her mind, a sharp distant whistling sound could be heard. The sound seemed to pause everyone in the battle field including the Hafgufa as it grew louder. Suddenly a bolt of grey and blue struck the tentacle in a thunderous impact. It wasn't enough to destroy the appendage, but the shock of the blow caused it to drop Darwen unceremoniously on to the broken ground. A massive furred warrior with a squirrel on his helm leaped from a great Destrier and began hacking furiously at a massive tentacle. The sight of the barbarian chopping madly at the huge tentacle would have been comical were it not for the fact the warrior's blow were leaving deep gouges in it. The tentacle tried to retreat but suddenly lances of ice began impaling the appendage and pinning it before the warrior. With a mighty roar the grizzled warrior raised his axe and severed the damaged tentacle in two.

"Good work! I didn't think anyone could stop the Hafgufa from destroying our coastal fortifications, but by Rawk you did! ", intoned the warrior with a commanding overpowering presence.

Darwen's mind snapped back to reality as the man's unshakeable courage seemed to bolster all those around him. Petrus limped towards the elf and helped her back to her feet as she wiped the slime from her face .

"Grand Champion Erland! Thank the gawds you've come. ", bowed Rollo as he made his way to the warrior.

"What..no 'thank you beautiful Surry'...or 'hurray for Pixie trampler? ' ", grumbled a thin hard faced elf atop the destrier. Even though she was still recovering from the shock of her alien encounter, Darwen's jaw dropped as she recognized she was in the presence of the Treekeeper of her tribe.

The Squirrel Lord stared at the squire and a look of recognition filled him. "Squire Rollo! I should have figured the Order of the Husky would spot the weakness in our defenses and bolster them accordingly. Where is Champion Zax ? So we can better coordinate our attacks! ", demanded the Grand Champion.

"He's unleashing his unmatched fury against the Hafgufa. ", stated Olga dryly.

* * *

><p>Adria had dropped Zax and Bucky off on top of a defensive tower , before rocketing into the skies . Zax waved at the eidolon and hoped she wouldn't fly too far up. If he needed to escape quickly he hoped Adria would quickly extract him . If she failed, then there was good old reliable Bucky. From their position , they were quite high up off the ground, but Zax knew that his fearless Dwarven War pony could easily make the jump down. If not, he hoped the pony could at least cushion his fall.<p>

The tiefling felt an unearthly presence close by and saw glimpses of a colossal slime covered form. "Okay...lets get this stupidity over with. ", grumbled the tiefling.

Zax dug through his magical pack and retrieved a heavy cold iron urn. A chorus of muffled screams echoed from it as it landed with a thud onto the tower's roof . Zax wiped his brow as he then broke the tarp that was wrapped around it, and lifted the heavy lid off.

A foul stench emitted from the container, but both Zax and Bucky seemed undisturbed by it. In fact Zax felt himself salivate a bit as the abyssal smells filled his nostrils.

"HEY! HALF GOOF BALL! ", shouted Zax at the creature, while being careful not to gaze directly at it. Darwen had caught him staring at her wet white shirt before, and he recalled the painful slap that left a visible red mark even on his orange skin. He wasn't sure how this thing's appearance would snap his mind, but there was no way he was gonna let this thing slap him .

The massive creature took no heed of the tiefling and continued its attack. Zax found himself annoyed at being ignored but he was determined to fulfill his plan. He used his rapier and impaled a squirming man headed worm, then brought it upwards and waved it in the air.

"Noooo...don't hurt us baby nagas! We're delicate...and not as tasty as we look. ", whined the pitiful creature as it dripped mucus and excrement.

Even though he couldn't stare at the creature, Zax saw from the edge of his eyes, the massive creature's head had turned to face him. He also noticed that its tentacles continued attacking something in an area of the harbor it had previously devastated.

"YO! Half Goof ball! Let's talk. ", shouted the tiefling once again. Zax noted that smaller tentacles erupted from the monster's head and shot itself towards him. The tiefling scoffed at the ridiculous sight and thought it looked like one of those spider plants that old ladies grew in their homes.

"Hey careful there! I just want to talk, if you don't wanna I'm gonna empty this holy water into this urn. I heard it kills all the delicious flavor .", warned the tiefling. He held aloft a bottle claiming to be extra strength holy water that cleans stains and brighten whites, an elixir he bought from Dimitri the Alchemist. From his previous track record at the store, Zax wasn't sure if it was actual holy water, but there was a money back guarantee if it didn't perform like it was suppose to , so the tiefling felt confident in its use.

The tentacles wavered from their attack, and they seemed to withdraw.

"You address the Hafgufa. I sense you've brought me a sacrifice to appease me. Speak your words of praise, before I devour you and everyone in this miserable city. ", warned an alien voice in Zax's mind.

Zax felt a splitting headache coming, but he instead smiled. An angry squid critter that desired a product he carried, this was too easy, the tiefling thought.

"Listen Haffy...can I call you Haffy? I know how this works. You're a blue collar monster. You put in your time you expect to get paid for it. You get a call to do some overtime in some wacky frozen dimension , you go out of your way to get here, and find out you aren't getting your ticket punched. Therefore, you go on a rampage destroying everything you can till the round trip spell that brought you here takes you back. If I were in your shoes I would be pissed too. I'm a carriage driver by trade, and I hate it when some guy stiffs my tab. ", shouted Zax at the monstrously alien creature.

The tiefling did not look, but he felt its eye or eyes stare at him intently. Bucky however was not sufficiently warned to avoid its gaze , and the pony suddenly straightened. It then fell to its side before tumbling off the tower, landing on the cold ground with a meaty splat.

"Damn...there goes my get away ride. Hmmm...I wonder if I can still use his body to break my fall. ", wondered the tiefling at his fallen pony.

"Listen Haffy big guy. I have a proposition for you. I have an urn of tasty larvae , from what I understand , they are souls, and you like souls don't you? Since you haven't been compensated for your trip. How about I give you these as an offering. All you have to do is leave town. Go pick on those giant boats or something ?", suggested Zax .

"Baby Nagas! ", corrected a chorus of larvae.

"Why should I make a deal with you? Larvae are pleasing to me, but not as much as raw destruction . I would be more then satisfied if I crush you or bind you to my will. How dare you negotiate with me , without even the proper binding spells in place! ", the alien voice sounded again.

Zax laughed at the threat, "You're pretty new at this aren't you Haffy? Look, let me tell you how things are. No one takes you seriously , that's why they don't pay you. Why give you a bunch of souls and order you to destroy my enemies, when I can just unleash you into the enemies camp and watch you do your Half Goofball Thing. No one with half a mind is gonna pay you now. Sure...you can just vent cuz you feel like it, but I learned a long time ago, that if you're good at something, people should pay you for it. Also, when someone actually attempts to pay you and negotiate for a service rendered, you don't go out and squish him. That's gonna earn you some bad street cred brother. Let me tell you , from one evil outsider to another, we already have a bad enough rep on the streets for not honoring our deals. These humans and giants will definitely not pay you if you gobble up every prospective employer. So you can do the crazy wanton destruction thing, or you can use your brain and get paid. ", exclaimed Zax.

The Hafgufa hesitated seemingly lost in thought.

"Oh...and these larvae..or baby nagas...or whatever they are. Don't they smell good. Would be a shame to give them a holy water bath. That would be a culinary crime! ", snorted the tiefling as he haphazardly played with the vial over the urn.

"You trust my word...even without spells of binding to enforce our contract. ", asked the alien voice.

"Street cred... walking the walk...talking the talk...earning your props . Remember ? I'm sure you care more for your credibility to future ...clients...then smashing one little old tiefling. ", smiled Zax.

* * *

><p>Despite losing all power and then its wing, Captain Ramirez was able to prevent a catastrophic crash . Instead of smashing directly into the ground the Indomitable slid into the midst of the giant horde. Giants , ogres , and assorted warbeasts were plowed to the side like rag dolls from the Skyship's descent. The vessel lurched sideways, and the captain half expected them to flip and tumble to their doom on its side. Luckily the last remaining wing of the Skyship managed to drive into the frozen tundra and slowed their collision .<p>

The battlefield fell into silence around the Indomitable as giant , knight and Grommer all wondered what had just happened. Ramirez glanced at the vessel and saw that the mast was broken, most of the rigging lost, the port side was breached, but he noted with relief that the hull had not cracked. It was small consolation as a roar from the giants indicated their foes had recovered from the crash landing.

Ramirez and his men rallied desperately to repel their giant foes. Despite being depowered the ship still served as a miniature wooden fort for the defenders. They were hopelessly outnumbered , but the captain knew his men were seasoned veterans and they would put up a fierce resistance.

The Captain scanned for Earl but did not see him. A moment of despair struck Ramirez. Did the assassin finally perish during the crash? A scream and howl from the giant ranks dispelled that notion.

"Get up you lazy swabs. Falling out of the sky is no excuse for sleeping on the job ! Get up and fight! ", roared the Captain as he brandished his saber .

In response a giant attempted to climb the boat's deck. A swarm of angry sailors stabbed and battered its arm , causing him to fall to the ground. A brief cheer of victory sounded, but then Ramirez noticed several other giants and ogres attempting to climb aboard. The captain noted there were too much for his crew to knock down . Ramirez also heard a fierce battle below decks and suspected the giants were attempting to enter through the port breach as well. The Captain conceded that it was just a matter of time before they were captured and killed.

A howl filled the air as a large white wolf bounded to the deck. It's sudden attack caught the crew by surprise as it bit a sailor and flung him overboard. The wolf then turned its attention to the captain and then bounded towards him. Ramirez braced for the impact, but it didn't come. He then saw a long elvish blade sticking through the wolf's neck.

"Where the hell are we ?", asked a confused Lord Quick as he withdrew his sword and gave a dazed look around. "What's with the dog? I thought there was a no pet policy on skyships. ", babbled the dazed elf.

* * *

><p>Brita felt generations of honor and power flow through her arms as she hefted the Ancestral sword of the Snow Lion. Even though her father shattered it while fighting Yeenoghu, the blade was reforged by the finest smiths and wizards in the land. The blade's edge crackled with unseen power as it sensed its foe. Even with the antimagic aura in the area, the blade seemed to burn with vengeance.<p>

The Giant King seemed locked in concentration as he focused on his staff. Brita had never seen such an instrument before, it was made of stone and covered with ancient runes. There was an aura of power radiating form it that was hard to identify. The half elf paladin could not identify the particular type of enchantment, but she knew instinctively it was what was draining the surrounding magic. Brita weaved and dodged past the King's guards. They swung at her , but the Mistress of the Lionblade was too quick for the relatively slow giants . She slashed one's arm and chopped another's leg before breaking through their ranks. She then dashed towards the unsuspecting giant King and swung with her all her might.

The Lion blade struck the staff and a loud crack could be heard. Brita frowned as she noticed a deep notch in the sword, and wondered if her swing was sufficient. The giant king snapped out of his trance and the sorceress could see panic on his face. The staff began to form cracks in his hands , then suddenly the shaft splintered and shattered into dust.

Brita was only knee high to the elder giant King, but she raised the blade again and prepared for a killing blow. The elder giant seemed exhausted , most likely from using the staff and cowered before her. Whatever malice or strength the King once possessed seemed to have vanished , as only a cowardly old man was before her now. Before she could strike , a howl behind her caught her off guard . She glanced back and saw a few members of the elite giant guard that had blocked her earlier were standing over a beaten bloodied form of a rapidly shrinking lion. Dead giants and their shattered weapons were strewn around Kalinka, most prominent was a shattered dark iron axe. Brita wasn't sure if they defeated Kalinka or perhaps she was unable to maintain that form. The sorceress ignored the cringing Giant King and bounded towards her leader, ally and friend.

Brita felt power course through her tattoos, and knew her magic had returned. She sent her blade streaking towards her foe and once it again it cut a swathe through them. Unlike her previous attempt that saw Windsplitter fall harmlessly to the ground, the ancestral blade of the Snow Lion returned triumphantly to her hand. The sorceress then uttered words of earth to the giant closest to her. The Frost warrior struggled briefly before it stiffened and turned to stone. Brita had more devastating spells at her disposal but she did not wish to endanger Kalinka. She noted her daughter had greater mastery over mass destruction spells, and could exclude or even wrap them around her allies to exclude them from their effect. Unfortunately she did not have the level of mastery.

Fear seemed to spread through the remaining giants , as their companion was turned to stone. Brita gave a telekinetic push to the statue, which fell and shattered on one of its former allies. It was a weak attack but the panic it instilled scattered the giants before her .

Even though she had spared the giant king, Brita noted that the combination of Kalinka's war cry and the return of magic to their ranks, had turned the tide of battle. The ranks of the snow lion now bolstered once again by elven arrows, and more importantly elven magic began sweeping the demoralized giants once again. Brita nodded in approval and turned her attention back to Kalina.

*WHACK*

Brita's head spun as her head struck the cold tundra. Her head and stomach was spinning in pain , as she briefly recalled the giant Jarl had somehow snuck up on her and managed to kick her.

The dark bearded giant was covered in deep claw marks and bled from multipe wounds. It snarled at the sorceress but proceeded towards the fallen Kalinka instead. It laughed haughtily as it stomped the prone champion into the ground a few times with its massive iron shod boots.

Brita raged with fury , but could only sputter blood in response. She coughed and tried to clear her throat, but she was soon met with another massive kick to the side.

The sorceress felt bones snap and most likely organs bursting from the blow. Pain exploded in her side as she realized she was doomed. Even as she laid dying she took satisfaction that her Order was saved. She knew she could simply close her eyes and let death take her at that point. She wondered if she ceased her struggle, would she dream once more of a final embrace with her Grommish lover. Her service and bravery to her order had earned her that amount of indulgence she thought. Despite the chance for a moment of peace, the Mistress of the Lionblade would do no such thing. She was a Knight Commander of the Snow Lion, and would meet death face to face. Brita struggled but managed to open her blood filled eyes. Through her gaze she saw a massive boot poised to stomp her , just as it had done to her leader Kalinka. She steeled herself for the blow, but miraculously none come.

A blur of violence exploded onto the giant. From Brita's position and blurred vision , it appeared that Frost Jarl was locked in a battle with his shadow of all things. The chieftain would spin and strike at a seemingly invisible opponent that was always at his back. Brita at first thought she was hallucinating, but eruptions of blood could be seen jetting from her tormentor. Brita took the time to roll to her side and grimaced as she threw up blood . She was out of healing power and felt her body broken in multiple spots, but she managed to summon servant spirits to hold her aloft. She weakly chuckled as she thought that her bloodied and broken body suspended by near invisible attendants would most likely resemble that of some undead monstrosity.

From her new vantage point she saw that the Giant Jarl was fighting a losing battle with what appeared to be a nondescript warrior. Brita's heart jumped and she almost fainted from disbelief, but she steadied her nerves and summoned a large spectral blade . Before she could send it to aid the lone warrior, the blade flashed behind her and parried the blows of a giant. Brita scowled as she saw her victorious order push and pursue the fleeing giants and ogres. This was all good , except that she was in the path of the fleeing giants, and they would not hesitate to strike down any lone knights they found in their way.

Brita wondered if she escaped one doom only to encounter another. She knew another blow, or even a jostle would most likely be the end of her but she stood her ground none the less. She began summoning as many spectral blades as she could, to catch as many fleeing giants between the knights hammer, and her anvil. The first few waves of giants were fatally sliced and stab but they continued their retreat. As their situation grew more desperate, their retreat soon became a route, as a mass of giants crashed through her defenses. The sheer number of retreating Frost warriors were too much for her blades to handle, and she realized she would soon be trampled to death before them.

Brita had dropped the Ancestral blade of the lion awhile ago , and was too weak to hold anything except her gifted dagger. A giant hurtled itself towards her, as she stood her ground with the small but deadly blade. Right before the giant crushed her with its club, a blur of a figure darted to its side, and jabbed its ankle. Then he gave it a short shove, that sent it crashing to the side, nearly missing the sorceress. Another giant saw what happened to his comrade and swung its sword at the blur , but the man impossibly hopped onto the blade , before running up its arm and slamming a dagger into its ear. The giant was as shocked as Brita, before its eyes crossed and fell lifeless to the ground.

"Damn, do these giants ever clean their ears. I think its earwax is sticking to my dagger, and I can't get it out. ", commented a smiling nondescript man.

Brita smiled and weakly tossed the man his dagger . Her throw was weak, but he managed to dart forward to catch it deftly. "Hey ...you kept it! ", the man noted as he examined the blade. An ogre penetrated the barrier of blades, but the man casually raised his blade and impaled its heart. He then took a simple step forwards to avoid the crashing monster.

"The big guy got away during the stampede, but at least..", began the nondescript man, but he was silenced by the passionate kiss of his tearful love.

* * *

><p>"He's unleashing his unmatched fury against the Hafgufa. ", stated Olga dryly.<p>

Suddenly the tentacles withdrew , as the mighty beast seemed to be in full retreat. Erland gave a passing chop to one of the appendages, but it did not seem willing to return the blow.

Surry's horse quickly bounded to the top of a half destroyed building , and stood on a lone beam. Erland half expected the weight of the horse to collapse what was left of the structure, but the gravity defying destrier balanced itself weightlessly .

"Its hard to see...but I think this Hafgufa creature is retreating into the harbor.", exclaimed Surry .

"Errr...I was being sarcastic when I said that. I didn't think Champion Zax would actually beat the creature. ", whispered Olga in surprise to Rollo.

"Amazing...the creature appears to be heading towards the Giant longships...and its attacking them! ", cried the Treekeeper in shock.

"He is Zax Hagslayer after all. ", stated Petrus proudly. "As one of his closest companions, I can tell you he is always full of surprises. By the way, I'm available for mercenary work , if anyone needs a heroic summoner. My rates are quite reasonable. ", the summoner added.

Petrus waved his fingers and a heavy towel appeared in front of Darwen. The elf nodded appreciatively as she took the summoned item and wiped the last vestiges of slime from her face and hair. She wasn't surprised that Zax had somehow defeated the Hafgufa , she was more ashamed of the fact that she had lost faith in him. After so many dramatic rescues by the tiefling, she found it disconcerting that she still harbored a measure of doubt towards him.

The squirrel champion sniffed the air and a savage grin erupted. "I smell our lion brothers have routed the giant's main ranks. Also the grazing knights of the boar and Mammoth are finally arriving. Our foes attack was daring , but poorly executed. The element of surprise is lost for them, and they will soon be grinded to dust. ", Erland stated.

"He can tell that by sniffing the air?", asked Petrus in disbelief.

Rollo also blinked in disbelief when he saw a familiar sight. A dusty and injured pony hobbled uneasily towards the group. Rollo's training with horses could tell it had suffered broken ribs , seemingly from a fall , but the stubborn and heroic animal continued to stand. Most likely to search for its master, the squire noted dutifully.

"Oh there you guys are! And you found my pony! ", exclaimed Zax as Adria transported him back to the group. The tiefling shook a few hands, but immediately went to Darwen and gave her a deep hug. The elf seemed distant though and weakly returned the show of affection.

A look of worry crossed Zax's face , as he noted his lovely companion was troubling Darwen. Before he could ask the source of her problem Ogela made a sudden declaration.

"ISULA! Has anyone seen Isula?", demanded the elf squire .


	61. Chapter 61

"Reduce the sail! ", shouted Sarin to the Crab sailors. The paladin's instincts for the boat were quite remarkable , and the crab sailors sensed and obeyed his natural leadership. Despite the large half elf's booming voice he was barely heard over the roaring waves and freezing winds.

Halvor and several burly sailors leaned hard on the tiller and the battered Crab fishing boat, the Sadaharu , lurched to port , barely missing a jagged chunk of ice. The big knight breathed a sigh of relief as their vessel once again avoided an icy watery grave.

"Oww! Quit it , I don't have your stupid booze. Can't you see I'm busy !", yelped Halvor as he was poked in the chest.

"You're sure in full denial mode , aren't cha? The guilty I heard are like that. ", fumed Kirgi as the boat struggled against the churning icy ocean.

"I didn't take your booze ! Look, you know me. I hardly drink. Why would I guzzle something that I have no idea what it is. ", defended the big knight.

Kirgi blinked blankly. "Your stupid logic games won't work on me. ", he finally sputtered.

"Look. No one took your expensive bottle of blue spirits. For all we know that crystal decanter was cracked and leaked by itself. You were hit by a boulder you know, big rocks kind of do that when they strike crystal. I'm actually surprised the whole thing didn't shatter. ", argued the knight .

Kirgi shook his head vehemently in the frigid maelstrom. "Oh no. That bottle was magical, Petrus said so. The decanter wasn't cracked. Don't you think I thought of that. I poured some water in and nothing leaked out. Just some odd spiced incense dust, and some miniature furniture pieces. ", stated the dwarf angrily.

Halvor stopped and it was his turn to blink blankly. "Wait...miniature furniture? What are you talking about ? Are you sure it even held alcohol? ", demanded the knight.

"Seriously you two , cut it out !", shouted Sarin over the strong chilling winds. " Look Kirgi, I would be pissed too if someone stole my booze, but now's not the time. We are almost at Frosthaven , and we're being battered by unnatural storms and waves. By all rights , we should have smashed into an iceberg or now, or capsized from these winds and waves. Only the skill of these Crab sailors have prevented us from meeting a watery grave. "

Kirgi paused and an apologetic looked crossed his face. "Sorry guys. I'm a dwarf and we kind of like our booze. And..and ...it was blue...c'mon...blue booze! It's not every day I get a bottle of swanky hootch. I was hoping we would all drink it together to toast our victory celebration. Maybe get blue tongues or something. I ..I guess I got really pissed when I found someone stole my liquor. ", explained the dwarf.

Halvor shook his head at the stupid dwarf , despite his anger, he knew they still needed the short ranger's skills. "Well... if you want an unusual victory drink, maybe we can fill that decanter with some other form of hard liquor. I'm pretty sure I have some brandy or some of the Darokin Agave juice . If you drink enough , I'm pretty sure you won't taste the difference.", offered the big knight.

A particularly strong breeze suddenly battered the arguing adventures. The knight and the paladin held onto whatever railings and rope they could find. For a moment the dwarf seemed to be caught in a cyclone of wind and it appeared he would be swept off the vessel. Just as quickly as it struck , the winds suddenly vanished leaving the boat in a momentary calm. The sailors seized the opportunity and righted the boat again . The storms raged around the small vessel, but something was keeping the waves and icy winds at bay from the boat.

Even though they were swept by fierce a storm the dwarf didn't seem to be fazed by the sudden change in the environment. He paused and thought it over deeply. Eventually the dwarf nodded. "That's a good idea. I should find some moss berry wine or maybe some potato rye and fill that swanky decanter with it. ", declared the dwarf still ignoring the sudden calm in the storm. He thrust his thick fingers into his pack and began searching through it, till finally he withdrew a fancy blue crystal bottle.

"Fill er up! ", he declared as he pushed the decanter towards Halvor.

The big knight looked at the dwarf keenly. "Err...Kirgi ... its already full. ", observed Halvor.

* * *

><p>"Open the portal ! Do it now !", declared a wounded Jarl Darkaxe to King Frostreaver. The King simply looked stunned at the turn of events. Despite the warping axe , the staff of Kostchtchie, and the other Jotun relics they had been beaten. Even with his infamous Krigare warriors , the chieftan and his men suffered a humiliating defeat.<p>

First a giant albino dire lion of some sort had decimated their ranks. After a grueling epic battle, they had finally put the beast down, only to fight that little bitch sorceress. After an even more harrowing fight, Jarl Darkaxe managed to literally lay the boots to her . When he was about to finish her, some crazy quickling , or swift shadow creature attacked his remaining band. The creature was quick as lightning and its blow were accurate and deadly. The Jarl himself had lost an eye to the small creature, and was thankful that his retreating forces managed to cut their battle short.

They had managed to bring down one skyship, but two more were safely raining death on the giant ranks. The elven archers laid grievous volleys of arrows into his warriors, while being safely protected by the accursed lion warriors. His scouts indicated that fresh mounted warriors of the Boar and Mammoth were also closing in on their position . If they arrived while the giants were in such a confused state, Darkaxe knew they would be swept from the battlefield. The reports also indicated the mighty Hafgufa had turned against their own longships, and even now was systamically sinking them . Finally the King's trump card , the staff of Kostchtchie had been sundered. The Jarl knew little of the artifact's powers, but saw that it negated the human's magic, the only thing that was saving them. With such a sudden reversal in fortune the Jarl knew they must retreat from the battle.

"Open the portal ! Do it now !", repeated the Jarl but the King shook his head.

"The warping axe, the artifacts... they take too much out of me. I ...can't ..I do not have the strength to do it. ", said the king in a very tired, very small voice.

Jarl Darkaxe saw only red. The King's remaining body guards raised their weapons in defense of their liege, but Darkaxe swept them away in his rage. The Giant chieftain cleaved them both aside , and then buried his axe into the Frostreaver's chest in a single motion. The axe sheared through the King's heavy armor and embedded itself into his ribs. The last King of the giant's looked in shock as he fell to the ground. He tried to mumble something but only managed weak whispers.

"I should have done that ages ago! ", declared the Jarl triumphantly. He stood over his fallen foe and hefted the strange metal weapon, known as the warping axe. The axe was heavy, and the giant chieftan struggled to lift it. The haft of the weapon was heavy carved wood, but the head of the axe was made of some bizarre metal that seemed to twist and writhe on its own volition. The giant chieftain saw shapes of insects and dark aquatic creatures seemingly struggling in the metal, and noted a screaming face appearing to try to escape only to be pulled down by some chitinous appendage. It was bizarre and hypnotic to look at directly, and Darkaxe noted he felt pain in his eyes when staring at it.

The giant Jarl attempted to repeat the motion he saw Frostreaver employ in vain. He had hoped to open another rift so that his forces could escape. The giant Jarl was no novice when it came to magic items, and knew most items would imprint intuitively how to properly employ its magic. Unfortunately , the Jarl was unable to make the axe respond to his commands.

Darkaxe fell to the dieing King's side , and hoped the old tyrant had no expired yet. "Tell me the command words to the axe ! Although you do not have the strength to use the axe, I do ! I will end your suffering swiftly if you obey me. Do not be prideful and show me the way to rescue our people! ", the Jarl commanded.

Frostreaver grinned as blood escaped his lips." You..fool. The gifts of the Jotun drains the ...spirit ...of the user...but only one of noble blood can properly ...employ them. If...if it was ...so simple to let them drain...a subordinate...I would have ...given you ...the axe ages ago. ", gurgled the King with a defiant smile.

The Jarl Snarled in rage. He rose up to his full fury and wrenched the axe from the King's chest. " If our people shall die today. You shall die first !", he declared as he swung his axe downwards.

* * *

><p>Stormfeather and Sharliss soared high above the storm clouds. Even with her supernatural constitution, the priestess found it a struggle to breath in the high altitude, but she noted that the Griffon Prince had no problems . A terrifying storm raged beneath them as the priestess guessed her fate.<p>

"Don't look so worried. My order is actually doing what you want. With a few modifications ...of course. ", smirked Stormfeather.

Sharliss did not respond to the taunt , but her curiosity was raised.

The Griffon prince nuzzled her neck with cheek, sending a wave of revulsion in the priestess. "You should be thanking us. We are going to join my father . The great hunting bird, and a handful of hand picked knights are heading to the ruins of Frosthaven. Normally it would be impossible to fly through this weather, but we were given forewarning. We've taken appropriate preparations to reach our target, and accomplish our objective. ", whispered Stormfeather.

Sharliss shook her head violently to break the prince's contact with her neck. "I assume you seek to capture this artifact for yourself. My father and his friends won't let you have it so easily, even with myself as a hostage. ", she declared defiantly.

Stormfeather laughed. "My dear. Do you not see the storm below us. The artifact, the 'Aaapallo Myrskyjen' has already fallen into the hands of the giants. They are using it to summon a massive blizzard so they can create a bridge to the iceberg of Ogremoch. If we are to use you as a hostage, it is to ensure that your father and his friends do not interfere with us. That is, if they are still alive. We are not the villains here, but the heroes. We seek to stop this earth king and recover the artifact. Our actions will surely convince the other orders that Lord Felwind is the only man fit to rule. "

"Support your father, or he buries you in a blizzard. Am I correct? ", guessed Sharliss. The priestess was clearly unimpressed by the simplistic plan.

"Ahh, you are a sharp one. You will make a fitting bride for me. ", declared Stormfeather.

A cold shudder ran down Sharliss's back. "Never. I only agreed to a political marriage on the condition you aid my father. I see you never intended it. ", spat Sharliss bitterly.

Stormfeather laughed again. " To tell you the truth priestess, I was expecting that your beauty and our imminent marriage would drive my sister insanely jealous. I was hoping that a beautiful rival like yourself would allow her to reveal her true feelings to me. Sadly it was not to be. "

Sharliss shuddered as she comprehended her words. She didn't think it was possible, but the Griffon prince suddenly became that much more colder and creepier.

The Griffon Prince continued, " No matter though, you are still a useful hostage, and you are still quite lovely. Father's plan is quite mad, but also quite ambitious. I am no fool and expect him to fail of course, there are too many factors against him. However, if he does succeed, recover the orb, and enforce his iron will to all of known civilization... I would think marriage to the Prince of everything would not be so unpleasant. If not, then of course I could always use another concubine or ...slave ...to slake my lusts.".

Sharliss squirmed at his breath and touch from the threat, but knew now was not the time to escape. She did not have the proper spells to return safely in this storm, and knew that she needed to be patient to make her escape. She silently suffered the Griffon Prince's touch.

The Griffon Prince gazed at the stars and peered below. A small glint of light could be seen through the churning blizzard and his griffon mount angled fearlessly towards it. "Hold on tight. We're going to meet an acquaintance of yours. ", smirked Stormfeather as they plunged into the storm.

* * *

><p>Despite the whip being formed from heavy stone, in Overseer Uzrith's hands it was as malleable as any leather. Prince Frostreaver the thirteenth convulsed from the last lash and fell to his knees in pain.<p>

"Orb ... Storm ... or ... girl ... die... ", spoke the massive earthen taskmaster. Though the giant prince was tall for even his race, he was dwarfed by the walking mountain tormenting him.

Frostreaver gritted his teeth, and rose up once again . He summoned a last surge of strength and channeled it nto the eldritch orb , before once again falling into a heap. Only the fact that the elementals were holding his sister hostage kept the Prince standing. Between the beatings he had taken from his earthen captors, and the strain from powering the Aaapallo Myrskyjen , the giant prince had reached the limits of his endurance. After conjuring another storm front, the captured giant prince fell to the ground.

Frostreaver felt the massive stone foot of Uzrith prod his limp body and he held out hope they would finish the job. The prince and his sister had failed their people, and their father. They could not defeat the elementals and failed to secure the artifacts of their people. When Frosthaven fell , most of their people fled, but a small contingent of elite giants remained to secure the remaining Jotun relics. They had not seen the light of day for centuries and were hidden in a trap filled tunnel within the city. Despite their security , Frostreaver knew that the relentless elementals would eventually recover them. King Frostreaver had tasked Prince Frostreaver and his sister Isula to retrieve the items before fleeing the city, else retrieve them and destroy them. Sadly they were too late. The mountainous creature called Uzrith wielded almost god like powers and eventually subdued the pair. Frostreaver expected the doom of his people , but the relics were somehow denied to his foes.

A band of humans had seized the temple and miraculously evaded its dangers . Frostreaver heard that there was a caste of infighting humans called adventurers that specialized in such endeavors but disregarded those rumors. Thankfully the legends were true and the humans were able to deny his more immediate foe their prize. The elementals raged and battered the interlopers, but they had retreated into an abandoned giant fort. Frostreaver though for sure they would be quickly overwhelmed by the relentless stone horde, but miraculously they repelled attack after attack. The prince knew it was only a matter of time before they too fell, but was impressed how long they held out.

Eventually of course , the humans were broken, just like Prince Frostreaver and Princess Isula. The giant did not know if they were defeated by brute strength or the elemental's surprising deceptions. Regardless of their method of defeat, the elementals paraded the Orb of Storms in front of the Prince and his sister. Frostreaver knew that they could not operate such a device, and only one of royal blood could. He knew they would break his body and his will , but swore he would resist their efforts to control him. Despite his iron will, the Giant Prince eventually relented. Especially after they threatened his beloved sister. As his broken body laid dieing on the frozen ground, he hoped that the ice bridge would not be fully formed yet. It would be his last act of defiance from his failed life.

"Orb ... Storm ... or ... boy ... die... ", threatened a stony voice. The broken prince noticed that his tormentors were not talking to him. A weeping voice relented , and even from the ground , Frostreaver knew they were doomed.

* * *

><p>"We may not be the bravest , or the biggest...but we always win! ", shouted Captain Ramirez as he flashed his rapier across a crouched giant's nose. The wounded warrior involuntarily rose up, which resulted in him comically striking his head against the hull of the ship. The giant howled in pain and confusion , but was quickly silenced by a flurry of strikes from a band of swarming marines.<p>

A small cheer rose through the Grommish ranks from the heroics of their captain, but a feeling of dread still prevailed through them. The Indomitable was grounded, its hull breach and they were surrounded by giants. The upper decks were barely fending off the attackers , mainly due to the height and fortress like design of the vessel, however the breach provided the enemy with an opportunity to pour their forces through. The height of the vessel was a detriment but they all knew the giant's superior numbers would eventually win out. No sooner had Ramirez dispatched the crouching giant then a pair of armored ogres took its spot.

A pair of large hands grasped the fallen giant and dragged it out of the breached hull while the ogres cautiously advanced with shield and morning stars at the ready. They were more armored then the barbaric hide wearing enemies they had so far encountered and advanced with military precision .

"Oh great, smart ogres. What will they think of next ? " , groaned Ramirez as he blew a wayward strand of hair back into place.

The Ogres were less cramped then the giant, and had their weapons poised to strike. A brave but foolish marine leaped at them, but one of the brutes took advantage of its superior reach and smashed the man into the wall. The other ogre had its weapon at the ready to cover his fellow as the pair continued their advance.

Ramirez bared his teeth in anger. "RANGE! ", he shouted to his dwindling men.

Several marines responded and got into position between the defenders or from cover behind a corner. A short hail of bolts and dragon golem fire were fired at the ogres, but their armor and heavy shields easily repelled the bulk of the attacks. A few did manage to sink into the ogre's flesh, but the brutes casually ignored the blows.

The ogres continued to press forwards. The captain knew that they currently tied the giants up in a bottle neck in the Indomitable's halls. If they continued their advance they would lose that advantage quickly. Ramirez gripped his rapier and knew only a fierce counter attack was their only hope. Regardless of casualties, he would not let the giants take his vessel.

As the Captain and his men prepared to charge, suddenly a slight shadow slipped by them.

"Ahh...ogre gladiators...or footmen. Strength and armor versus my speed and agility. A perfect clash of styles don't you think. ", commented a thin man with an arrogant elvish accent.

Ramirez glared angrily at Lord Quick , but he welcomed the elven duelist's presence. Even though he assigned the Royal Adventurer to employ his bow on the upper decks , the captain had to admit that the elf's skills with the blade would serve them well in these close quarters. Ramirez never thought much of the Royal Adventurer as an administrator or as a person for that matter, but he acknowledged his superior abilities in the arts of death. Even without his magic, the elf was as dangerous with the blade as his reputation hinted.

The ogres were confused at their new foe, but advanced methodically at him. One readied his weapon, while the other swung his morning star at the elf. Ramirez watched as the elf seemed almost oblivious to the danger, and for a second the captain wondered if the duelist thought his magic was still working. The weapon crashed into the floor, and Ramirez expected to see the shattered body of the elf broken on the ground. From the look of the ogres, they had thought they had finished the elf as well, but all were surprised when their was no sign of Lord Quick.

"Much too slow chaps. ", replied a muffled voice. The ogres and marines were not sure where the elf was or what was happening, when suddenly a blade emerged from the readied ogre's chest. The brute blinked in shock at the protruding weapon , then fell face first as it disappeared back into his chest. The other ogre swung around , but was greeted with a flash of steel. It stumbled back to the awaiting blades and clubs of the Grommers as it clutched its throat.

The giants were undeterred by the defenders' brief victory. They released a small pack of winter wolves at the Grommers followed by more traditional berzerker ogres. Ramirez knew it would be a desperate battle now . Most likely hand to hand against the ravenous war beasts. The marines raced to support Lord Quick , but the elf contemptuously waved them back. He then squared himself to the rushing horde, before releasing a blinding bolt of lightning into the enclosed passage.

"Our..our magic is back. ", exclaimed Ramirez in surprise. With their spells stripped by whatever antimagic field that had enveloped them, the Indomitable was easy prey. With their magic return however, then the Indomtibale's sister ships the Imperial and the Invincible would have a good chance to rescue them.

"Of course it is. ", sniffed Lord Quick. "I would not abandon my post if the position was not secured. Already your sailors are repelling the giants with those wands of theirs. I just came down here to practice my exquisite swordsmanship and to see what type of trouble you people are in . "

Ramirez regarded the elf's veiled insults coldly, but held his tongue. His ship's close quarter defenses were formidable but no match for the army of giants they landed in. The captain expected the sudden return of magic gave them a bit of breathing room, but they were far from out of danger. Ramirez signaled his men to be ready for another assault by their foes.

As the Captain and his crew waited tensely. Lord Quick yawned and strode to the breach in the hull. Ramirez was incensed by the carefree attitude of the elf, and half hoped he would be flattened by a boulder or a club.

The elf scanned the exterior and shook his head. "Our playmates have left it appears. ", frowned Lord Quick in disappointment.

Ramirez signaled his men to keep their positions as he scrambled towards the elf and the breach. He was amazed when he saw the giants had indeed fled the area. Did the knights somehow reach their position, did the Invincible and Imperial reach them ? He nimbly hopped outside, and scanned the area more clearly. The Grommish airships were clearly seen several miles from their position, raining their deadly payloads onto the giants below while the ranks of the Lion were locked in a deadly battle a significant distance from their position as well. All around the breach and the ship in general were slain giants , ogres and assorted warbeasts. Ramirez noted a few were slain by arrows or the Indomitable's point defense weapons, but the vast majority were slashed or stabbed to death.

The captain scratched his head as he wondered what had caused the giants to retreat from their position. From the wounds of the giants it appeared a company of knights descended on them, surely they would have remained to check upon the ship. He waved at one of his men above on the ramparts of the ships . "Who killed these giants? How many and where are they now ? ", he shouted.

The man above shrugged nervously." Two and umm...they're behind you. ", he replied sheepishly.

Ramirez scowled at the observer, and was about to shout his question again.

"Oh hey Ramirez...glad to see you're still around.", said a familiar voice from behind him.

The captain turned around and was greeted by the sight of his nondescript friend. He had a few cuts and bruises , but he appeared to be in a rare good mood. Next to him, was a tall dark haired elf, or half elf. She had a statuesque aura of beauty about her , accented with generous breasts and curves. She wore only light scant armor, but her bare flesh was decorated with intricate tattoos. Even though they never met, the captain knew she must have been the infamous Mistress of the Lion Blade. The savage sorceress of the north that was as deadly as she was beautiful. "My lady. I am honored by your presence. ", bowed the Captain in his most dashing voice he could muster.

"Ahh...the sight of a such a rare flower in this carnage , brightens my heart. ", waxed Lord Quick as he literally slid towards the Tattooed beauty.

The mistress of the Lion blade nodded at both and seemed to blush from the attention.

" Brita...Ramirez ... Lord Quick ", spoke Earl while introducing the trio. "So you said you wanted to meet the woman that would make me risk my life, your life, your crew and your ship for. ", smiled the assassin to Ramirez.

* * *

><p>Jarl Darkaxe stared in shock , as his trademark Dark iron axe shattered in his hands. A streak of blue light erupted from it, before turning sharply and streaking towards a small figure.<p>

"WHO DARES!", roared the Jarl , more from rage then reason , as he drew two wicked looking hand axes from his belt.

"My name is Isula, and I dare. ", challenged the small girl in the Jotun tongue. She appeared to be a pale human girl with white hair wearing ornate blue armor and wielding a runic spear. Despite her size , there was something about her armor and appearance that seemed familiar to the Jarl.

"Human whelp! I don't know what magic you used , but none shall stand between me and my prey! ", bellowed the frothing giant chieftain, ignoring the fact his opponent had shattered his axe effortlessly.

Isula shook her head, "First off...I'm not a human. Secondly... No one kills Frostreaver there , but me. I'm pretty sure I swore to kill him first, so therefore I get the right of first challenge. Lastly, no one strikes a member of the Royal line unless they share the same blood. Especially not a craven attack like what you just did. I haven't been around in awhile, but I'm pretty sure that's still a rule. ", the miniature giant said sternly.

"DIE! ", shouted Darkaxe, as the full fury of his berzerker rage took him. The Jarl charged the girl, but she stood her ground. At the last moment , a flash of blue light flooded the area, and Darkaxe found he was tightly encased by crystalline bars of force. Isula then leaped impossibly high before landing on the caged Jarl.

"You deserve to die for so many reasons, but I'm going to use the calling me a human excuse. ", she snarled, before plunging her ornate spear cleanly into his skull. The Jarl thrashed briefly before falling still.

"Is..Isula...is that you. ", coughed the shattered of King Frostreaver.

The miniature giant rushed to her brother's side. "I'm sorry...I'm here. ", whispered Isula, as all her anger and threats seemed to have vanished .

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry for your curse...sorry for using the sacred relics...sorry for this disaster...", said the giant king weakly.

"You can't die...you owe me a duel, brother. ", replied Isula softly .

"Take the Orb of ...and the warping axe...the horn of Aegir...I lost the..staff... there is no one left to use them...but you. Even..even if Darkaxe killed me, he could not use the relics...the cost is high...but use them to save our people...", begged Frostreaver before he fell silent.

A deep emptiness shook the miniature giant. She expected herself to break down into tears, but found she had none to shed. She only felt a void in her heart that she admitted had always been with her. During the battle with the Hafgufa , she felt outrage that her brother would resort to such foul magics. Their father King Frostreaver had made them swore never to use it. She felt her brother's presence and sought him out after the fight to seek vengeance and honor for her family. All the wrongs he had wrought on her would be avenged, the curse, his theft of her throne, the use of the forbidden relics, and many other past slights would be avenged that day.

Seeing her brother broken and dead however left her with no joy or satisfaction. She had hoped the void in her heart would be mended or filled, but she felt no closure from his death. If anything, the thought of her fallen people and her slain brother filled her heart with more grief. Even though the events of the past relayed by Darwen were revealed to her, she felt detached from them. Sir Njord, her exile , and even her imprisonment in that Shattered mountains felt more like a confused dream then reality to her. Why would she accept her exile so readily, why would she accompany a human of all things, why would she sacrifice herself to guard his tomb? As she pondered her past and her emptiness, she wondered if that was why she left . Perhaps the hero named Njord somehow completed her heart, perhaps that's why she accepted her exodus without a struggle. If that was so, it would be something she would never experience again, since the ancient hero had long turned to dust. Even his name almost forgotten by history.

A tear rolled down the giant's cheek.

"ISULA? Is that you!", declared a greybeard Frost Giant Warrior.

Isula stared at the venerable warrior and a hint of recognition crossed her face. She could not recall his name, but recalled he was a part of her Warhost, so many centuries ago.

"By Thryme! It's a miracle. I thought we would all perish. The Warping axe is too much for the King to use again, and we are surrounded by enemies. I hope to rally around the King and hoped for some brilliant stratagem to escape , but alas it appears he has fallen. With your return, we are saved! ", declared the giant. Several younger giants were confused at the scene of the greybeard conversing with the small human, but they appeared to have enough respect for the veteran warrior to stay their hand.

Isula nodded and grew to her full size. It was a simple artificial spell but it evoked the effect she wanted. She was still much shorter then her brethren , but her appearance caused them to cower and bow in reverence. She thought she would bask in their worship, but found no consolation in their actions. She simply picked up the bizarre weapon known as the warping axe, and with skill much greater then her fallen brother , cut a rift in mid air.

The giant host was confused at this small stranger, but knew what the rift was. Swiftly they retreated into the void that brought them here. As the last giant retreated Isula considered entering herself. She belonged with her own kind rather then with the stupid tiefling and his crew. She wondered if she could lead the same people that had forsaken and cursed her, let alone live with them. As she was lost in indecision the rift closed itself rendering her decision moot.

* * *

><p>"You ...you did it Zax. ", stuttered Darwen in shock.<p>

"I am both astounded and humbled by your deeds Sir Zax. ", bowed Erland reverently.

Zax held out his hands in protest, "No...no...no...I didn't do this. It was Adria. She used her eye long powers and gave it a gaze blast or something. ", rebuffed the tiefling.

"Eye long powers? You mean eidolon? Ridiculous! ", declared Petrus. "Unless I concentrate intently I do not have the full array of Adria's senses, but I do know what she's up to . Especially at such close range. I can assure everyone here, that my faithful eidolon merely deposited our reluctant hero and his steed before flying off to position herself as a tactical reserve. ", the summoner stated with Adria nodding in agreement.

Zax frowned at the revelation but he would not be deterred. "Bucky did it! I saw him. He turned around and mule kicked that critter in the Octo nads. It shot ink or something after the mighty kick and scrambled out into the harbor clutching its crotch in pain. ", declared the tiefling. When he noticed that his current version of the story drew many doubting looks he added, "Hey! Bucky is a tough little critter. I seen him beat a griffon ...and a shark! No one messes with Eight bucks here. "

Sir Erland held out his hand, "Your courage is overshadowed only by your humility. I understand your plight perfectly. True heroes do not seek fame, but are satisfied by their deeds alone. I often wished that my own reputation was kept more private. ", stated the Squirrel champion. " Let it be known that the defenders of Narwhal keep drove the monster off. Their blood and sacrifice saved the day, the rest of us just lent a helping hand. ", Erland declared with a wink.

Squire Rollo was about to protest but shrugged in agreement. The rest of the small band agreed as well before they started treating their wounds. Treekeeper Surry was the principal healer, but Squire Ogela seemed to possess some skill as well.

"That's not like you . ",whispered Darwen to Zax as she motioned him away from the others.

Zax shrugged. "What do you mean ?", he said half heartedly.

Darwen shook her head. "You know perfectly what I mean. Normally you are the first person to claim credit or at least bask in the mistaken impression others have. You could have gone down as a legendary hero for defeating the Hafgufa for what you did .", stated the elf.

Zax chuckled at the comment. "Please. There is no way I'm going to attach the victory over the half goof ball to myself. I value my reputation , thank you very much. I rather be known for kicking kittens or smacking babies then beating a half goof ball. ", explained the tiefling with a smirk.

"What? Didn't you see the creature you fought ? I was bigger then a war galley! It was the size of a small keep! How could that hurt your reputation! ", asked Darwen with a raised voice. Her sudden outburst caused some heads to turn , but Zax waved them off by giving the elf a quick kiss, then a wave to the onlookers. The curious crowd smiled and drew their own conclusions as their attentions returned to the healers.

"Look Darwen. Sure that thing was big, but its all about story telling. Nobody back home has seen a Half goofball before and I doubt most people here have even heard of it. If wild tales start spinning about how the Heroic Zax defeated the Half goof ball then they will laugh, and worse yet they will question the legitimacy of my other stories. I rather like my current reputation and legend as a matter of fact. So I rather not attach this bit of hokey lore to my name.", whispered Zax.

Darwen's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Wait...I heard from Adria you took full credit for defeating a tribe of goblins, when all you did was curl into a ball and scream. You also relate your obviously bloated story about rats in the sewer on numerous occasions. You are telling me , you rather be known for defeating rats and goblins then the dreaded Hafgufa.", pried the elf.

Zax gave her an incredulous look. " Well yeah. Huffguffa or however you say it, sounds stupid and doesn't conjure an images of dread of fear from the common man. Goblins and rats however, that's a different story entirely. Rat's are dirty filthy creatures, that bring a sense of feral savagery even in a completely urban setting. They evoke disgust more then danger, but since they live in packs in the sewer, they also bring a sense of unknown fear. They are kind of like clowns, except not as dangerous but just as scary. Everyone is afraid of clowns. Especially the sad looking ones. Goblins are short and vicious and full of sharp teeth and blades, they are pretty scary critters. That's why parents tell bad children to beware of goblins under the bed, not ,let's say, owl bears. ", the tiefling explained in a lecturing tone.

"Parents tell bad children goblins are under their beds because they are small, owl bears would be too big. ", retorted the elf.

"Whateva...you get the idea though. ", shrugged the tiefling.

Darwen nodded solemnly . As Zax began to return to the line the elf reached out and grasped his arm. The tiefling stopped and turned towards her. The elf was at a lost for words, and the pair stared at each other uncomfortably .

"Zax...I'm sorry. ", she finally stated as the tiefling began to walk away again.

Zax smiled and returned to his companion's side. "Sorry for what? ", he said with a sly grin. The tiefling noticed Squire Rollo waving to him, indicating he saved them a spot in line. The tiefling waved him off , and wrapped his arms around the despondent elf in response. Rollo nodded knowingly and turned his attention away.

Darwen reluctantly played along with the act and drew the tiefling closer. "I'm sorry I doubted you. I ..I thought you were going to run away with Adria. I thought you abandoned me to the beast. ", she stated with downcast eyes.

Zax examined her face, and noted the defeated expression on her face. He simply smiled and hugged her again. "Hey, don't think running away didn't cross my mind. I've fabricated numerous plans on numerous occasions to run away to Irendi, and possibly become a druid. In everyone one of those plans , I have a lovely elven companion at my side. " , he admitted with a smirk.

Darwen blushed and held tightly onto Zax. " Why would you want to run? You have everything right now. Fame, fortune, ...even respect from one of the greatest warriors alive. You just have to survive to enjoy it, and I'm here to help you with that. ", teased the elf.

"Living up to my reputation is a fine tight rope you know, its great to be known as a hero, but sometimes people want you to do actual heroic deeds. Even with such a beautiful body guard at my side , I rather avoid all the sharp weapons pointed at my direction . ", explained the tiefling.

Darwen thought over his words and nodded, "I'm still sorry for doubting your courage. You've come through for me time and time again, yet I still harbor doubts about you. It's..it's I don't feel worthy of you. Don't laugh. I of all people know the truth about your carefully fabricated reputation, but believe it or not , its more truth then lies. You really come through when it counts, and ...and I can't even muster enough courage to believe in you. ", admitted the elf in an empty tone. The pair stood silent again as the world stood still between them. " I've really enjoyed our time together but maybe you should seek more dependable , reliable allies. ", said the elf softly, each word a dagger in both their hearts.

Zax's expression turned sour. He grasped the elf by the shoulders and shook her abruptly. " Oh no, you are not leaving me now. I like Sharliss a lot but I'm only helping her because of you. If it wasn't for you I wouldn't be up north in this stinking city in the center of this crap hole backward civilization, I would be relaxing in my manor in Grom City. Lastly, I should be sailing to Irendi right now on the Acheron, but do you know why I'm not ? Because I know the only person I care about won't be on board with me, because she has a need to connect with her people. Listen to me, we've had our ups and downs the last little while, the mantle of duty attached to my Champion title, that flirty skank elf Captain, even the woefully scant time we've been able to share , however the one thing that has always remained constant is that you've always...I mean ALWAYS have been on my thoughts. I don't care if you suffered a moment of weakness, I bet battling legendary hoof gustas does that. Adria told me staring at the thing drives one batty, so I certainly won't hold that against you. All I'm saying...is if you leave now, I will follow you. I don't care how awkward or stalkerish it will be, I will follow you till you accept me or stab me. ", declared the tiefling in a state of half panic.

Darwen blinked in stun disbelief. "I...I didn't expect that response. ", she said numbly as she tried to process all the tiefling had said.

Zax summoned all his courage. "I love you...Are you happy?" , he blurted abruptly then finished with a sigh.

Darwen blinked.

Darwen stared.

Darwen blinked again then smiled, "Yes. ", she replied as she kissed him lightly and gripped his hand tightly.

* * *

><p>The pair were the last to be checked by Treekeeper Surry. Ogela had already expended her limited healing and was assisting squire Rollo to prepare their mounts before they moved out. Darwen had quite a few bumps and lacerations , but Zax was relatively uninjured.<p>

Erland stood by Surry's side as she administered healing to the oddly smiling Bladesinger.

"In the future, you should not refer to Narwhal Hold as the "stinking city in the center of this crap hole northern civilization. " , at least not while you are in the confines of the city and within possible earshot of its citizens. ", grinned the Grand Champion in a smile that looked more like a challenge then a warning.

Zax looked fearfully at the much bigger, battle scarred warrior. He noted the squirrel on his head looked ready to leap off his helmet and tear his throat open . "Errr... you heard that ?", gulped the tiefling nervously.

"Super Squirrel hearing. ", shrugged Erland as he pointed to his ears.

"Pfffttt...I think everyone heard it...at least bits and pieces of it. I think the "I love you ...are you happy ?", bit at the end was a nice touch. It sounded close to a forced confession , then an admission of endearment. It was all very over the top and melodramatic. ", snorted the Treekeeper .

Zax and Darwen both blushed at their observation, and without thought, both took a step closer to the other and gripped their hands tightly again.

"Do not let my old maid companion's bitter comments weight down your heart. ", laughed the Grand Champion. The mood lightened, but Zax noted Surry's eyes narrowed menacingly at Erland.

"Sir Zax, I am not boasting or prideful when I say I am a good warrior, but despite my skill and deeds I am not a truly great warrior. To be a great warrior , you need more then skill at arms, you need a strong heart. The ability to care and love those around you , and more importantly to let them know this. Your admission to your companion was quite brave and touching , and for that I salute you. As warriors , we both know that the next battle might be our last. However, as warriors, we know to be always on guard , physically, spiritually, and emotionally. ", stated Erland sagely. Normally the Grand Champion radiated a much more youthful aura then his aged appearance suggested, but at the moment he looked like an old man full of regrets. "To declare your love like that takes some courage. To let your defenses down like that, especially when there was significant doubt in your lady friend. ", added the Squirrel Champion.

"Thanks...", replied the couple simultaneously.

After the pair left, Surry looked at the Grand Champion suspiciously. "Well that was different. I thought you were going to point at them and laugh . You know, flaunting your superior alpha male position and demeaning your subordinates who indulge in all that touchy feeling crap. ", chuckled the Treekeeper.

Erland shrugged, "I mean it, it took courage what he did. "

"Did you do something similar with your own lovely wife before the eve of some grand battle in the past ?", teased the tree keeper.

Erland snorted derisively, "Declare my love to Helga? Hah! She would be the first to throw that in my face. Harpies refer to my wife if they need to describe someone in a shrewish manner. "

Surry laughed lightly at the comment before rejoining the rest of the band. The skirmish at the harbor was won , but the battle was far from over. Even though some reports suggested the giants had vanished as swiftly as they arrived, they still needed to sweep for stragglers .

"When I was young...there was a girl . ", stated Erland blankly when he was left alone. The Grand Champion stared off into the clouds and a distant look took him. " I only knew her briefly but I was too scared to state those words. ", he said regretfully to himself.


	62. Chapter 62

The ice crashed and the winds wailed, but oddly enough, the fishing vessel was unharmed. Besides the occasional stray iceberg, the crab vessel Sadaharu continued to its dangerous destination unfettered by the violent storm.

"Any idea what's up? You're the magic expert I hear. " , Sarin asked his lithe companion. Regardless of her answer , the half elf was thankful for the unexpected sanctuary.

"I can tell you its not an enchantment placed on the boat. It's also not any ongoing spell that I am familiar with. ", replied a puzzled but curious Nymk.

"Perhaps the Warmaster is responsible. We are supposedly coming to his aid, it would not surprise me if he subtly exerted his will over the elements to provide us safe passage. ", commented Halvor. The conversation was above his breadth of knowledge , but the big knight felt he could still contribute his opinion. Out of all the crew, he felt he was the most responsible for the refugees that were aboard. He was powerless to help them, but he thought he should at least be 'in the loop' of any information that was shared.

Sarin considered Halvor's statement then chuckled. "No . It's definitely not the scarey hairy Warmaster. He can wield vast power if he chooses, but he's not very subtle. Finesse is not his thing, that's more Aunt Surry's forte. ", guessed the half elf.

Lady Kania , in her human form , walked to the edge of the boat and leaned forward. The disguised lamia cut a striking image as the slight winds rippled through her almost gossamer white robe. As she balanced precariously on the rail , her long blond hair seemed to almost dance from some phantom wind as it slowly twisted unnaturally in the slight breeze. Her majestic figure seemed to garner the attention of the entire craft.

"So besides getting all the guys here hot under the collar , is there a point for this little exhibition?", asked Nymk with an unimpressed look.

Despite the sword woman's cold attitude, the lamia addressed her in a friendly manner. "Indeed there is, chosen of the blessed one. I have divined that we are not under a spell of protection, but a powerful elemental or nature spirit is directly aiding us on our journey. ", she said with a smile.

"This Ogre Moocher guy commands air elementals too? Why doesn't he get them to fly his fat ass of his iceberg , instead of getting some ice bridge built? ", asked the Kirgi the dwarf. "Errr...is he too heavy? Too fat? Eating too much granite burgers? ", he guessed as he attempted to answer his own question.

Kania shook her head, "Air and earth spirits do not get along. They are like kobolds and gnomes, or dwarves and orcs. I am sure he is capable of summoning wind spirits, but he would be greatly shamed if he did so. Besides, if Ogremoch could summon a spirit, I doubt he would use it to protect us. Unless we have something of value he seeks, he would more likely capsize our vessel instead of saving us. From the lore I have heard of him, he is not one to engage in complex plots and machinations like his murderous cousins."

Halvor was a bit startled by the revelation. "Wait...there are more like him?", he asked in shock.

Lady Kania nodded slowly, but it was Nymk that replied. "Ogremoch is considered an elemental prince of evil. Some scholars classify him as an Archomental , an exemplary creature of the elemental planes. There are very few known in existence, Cryonanx Prince of Ice, Imix Prince of fire, Olhyrdra the Princess of the Waves, and the oddly named Yan C Bin Prince of Air. Ogremoch is considered the most powerful, but as a side note Olhydra is considered the closest to being an actual deity, due to the cults she fosters. All of them are alien to us, but their actions could best be described as evil and destructive. From what Champion Frank has told us, and what knowledge my master Boryis has passed down, I suspect that Ogremoch will attempt to harness the latent energies of this plane to ascend to true god hood. I guess , that he is greatly weakened while he is on the glacier but will regain his power if he touches the ground. If such a thing comes to pass, I envision a world of endless earthquakes as he tears it asunder . ", explained the former Bride of Boryis.

Kirgi scratched his head. "Eh..if he needs to touch the ground, why build an ice bridge, why not just jump off the iceberg and sink to the bottom of the sea. I'm pretty sure there's rocks down there. ", inquired the dwarf skeptically.

Kania shrugged, "Since we are only engaged in conjecture, I suspect we do not know all the answers. I myself believe that he is imprisoned. Since that would explain why he can't leave the iceberg, we can also deduce that this ice bridge his minions are forming , is to be used to transport earth to him. Most likely they will bury him or create a shrine for him to regain his strength. An indirect method to reestablish his power. ", offered the lamia.

Sarin listened to his allies talking and smiled. This would likely be the last time they could talk so carefree. They were almost at their destination and he wondered if they could actually make a difference. His small band had overcome some great obstacles, but could they defeat an Archomental that was on the verge of becoming a god? Maybe he should have listened to Halvor and sailed the refugees back to their home, or at least to dry land. If they were doomed to ultimately fail, perhaps it would have been better to offer everyone aboard at least a few more days of peace.

Sarin considered his own words and cursed himself for his self doubt. He was a paladin of Linel, the god of courage and valor. He admitted he did not follow all of his gods teachings to the letter, but he followed the principal one. ' To face even impossible odds with courage, meant there was a possibility to succeed. ' It sounded cheesy and corny but it was something the half elf believed in. Despite his conviction, he felt a bit tentative that he would risk the lives of his friends and the civilians on his own beliefs.

"Guys, in case disaster strikes. I'm sorry for leading you here, but it had to be done. We might very well be the only thing stopping Ogremoch from clobbering our world. I don't want to shame anyone here , but I've been born and taught to do this kind of thing. I'm sorry if I bullied any of you to follow me. ", admitted Sarin to his gathered allies.

"You aren't the only one here that has principals you know. ", replied Nymk as she held the half elf's arm possessively.

"I am your guardian, of course I shall follow you. ", answered Kania .

"I'm a troll slayer, we kill giants. I dunno if Ogremoch is a giant or not, but he sure sounds like one. That means its my duty as a dwarf to keel him . Keeel him good. ", chuckled the dwarf.

Halvor considered the paladins words , and knew they were mostly directed at him. " I've fought by your side long enough to respect your judgement , but I'm mainly here to protect my people. I was at first skeptical to the enormity of the danger, but seeing this storm rage around us has convinced me otherwise. I will follow you , if it means giving my villagers a chance.", sighed the big knight.

Sarin half expected to be yelled at but was pleasantly surprised by his allies support. The half elf hoped it would be enough for the journey ahead.

* * *

><p>"The giants left? Just like that? POOF? ", asked Erland with disappointment.<p>

"Yes. They vanished as swiftly as they arrived. A few of the ones wearing archaic armor were left behind, but they literally winked out of existence when we fought them. ", replied a bloodied Aethulwulf of the Mammoth. Even though his order was spared the brunt of the surprise attack, his men were engaged in heavy fighting during their sweep of the enemy flank.

"From my cursory evaluation of the battle, I am sure their reinforcements that arrived later were some sort of mass summoning. A very impressive feat, one that I do not think they were capable of. I would guess it was one of the legenary Jotun relics that have always been hinted at but never employed by our foes. Until now of course. ", replied Fleur of the Narwhal. Despite defending the main keep from the brunt of the attack by the Hafgufa, the Hold's mistress seemed untouched from the dirt and grime of battle. A minor reminder of her vast skill at magic.

"We've seen first hand their relics in use. I saw a staff that negated all magic before I fell. I've fought giants before, but I've never seen them use such artifacts. ", hissed a haggard Kalinka. The Snow Lion Champion had fallen under the giant's might, but the Knight's powerful clerics had returned her to the living. Despite being revived by such powerful divine magics, the old warrior still barely clung to life. The priests attending her cautioned her to rest, but her fierce pride dragged her to this meeting.

"I've been told in my travels... ", began Hero of the Boar. The gathered Champions paused as the youngest amongst them began to speak. Despite her age, it was well acknowledged that she had explored and seen much of the world. She had single handedly reformed her Order after the Legendary Zalthar the Slayers death, and was afforded much respect. "...that the giants used these artifacts to deadly effect in the ancient past. During the times of the Crusades in Grom , there are many tales of Giants warping space to cross great distances and surprise their foes , stopping magic on the battlefield, and summoning mythical beasts to destroy their foes. I guess that it wasn't out of a sense of fair play or honor that the giants had stopped using them for so long. Mostly a heavy cost is attached, perhaps a blood sacrifice. If Lord Frank's report was correct, I assume that our ancient foes must be desperate indeed to draw upon their power again. "

"The Order of the Bat was fortunately engaged in scouting duties during the attack. They have reported the giants have returned to their main camp a hundred miles to the north. They seem to be on the move ...north. ", noted Ivanovic.

Erland nodded. "The minor orders can harass them as they leave. The muskeg is currently too difficult for giant boars and mammoths to move effectively. The smaller , more mobile orders of the Silver Champion are best suited for the task. Sir Ivanovic , I declare you the intern Silver Champion to replace the fallen Sir Rysk. ", the Squirrel Lord commanded. "We can debate your legitamcy at the next Great Council, hopefully in another 5 years. "

Ivanovic bowed. It was a great honor, but also a difficult task ahead of him.

"Since you are appointing replacement champions. I wish to announce that I will be stepping down as Champion of the Snow Lion. My injuries have not healed properly, and I will be unable to attend to my duties. I suspect a combination of my long years, and the foul enchantments that the giants employed are responsible for this. I also admit my age and cynicism has gotten the best of me these last few years . The role of Champion should be assumed by one with a more forward thinking and optimistic viewpoint. My commander Brita shall replace me. She has a difficult task ahead of her to rebuild our Order. ", hacked the old weary woman. Erland recalled that Kalinka had employed almost as much life lengthening magic as Felwind. The giant's ability to strip away magic had probably pushed her body to her limit.

"So noted. A good choice. ", approved the Squirrel champion. Kalinka's announcement was a shock to the gathered champions, but no one protested her stepping down.

"Anyone else see that big octo critter in the harbor. That bad boy turned on its masters pretty fast. Maybe their artifacts aren't all they are cracked up to me.", mused Champion Frank. Even though a Champion of the minor orders was not normally allowed in the War Council, the Silver Champion Rysk was slain . Franks heroics in the skies above the battle earned him a spot in the War Council .

Erland shook his head. "It was the legendary Hafgufa. We are quite fortunate that it was driven back against its masters. ", replied the Grand Champion cryptically.

"Wow...you did that? ", asked Frank in awe. "Wow...Thats some mad skillz bro. ", applauded the Crab Champion.

Erland shook his head, "It was not I . I've been asked to protect the hero's anonymity. We shall let the subject of his identity drop. ", ordered the grizzled warrior.

"Oohh...I get it. A hero must act with his identity in confidence. So better to strike at his foes while not allowing his enemies to strike at the loved one around him. A hero must be unfettered by personal bonds while battling villains and crime. We all know the bad guys of the world are not above exploiting those that the hero care about and turning them into his weakness. ", stated Frank as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.

The rest of the war council stared at him and wondered what he just said.

"Hey! Don't give me that look. Don't tell me none of you guys have thought about wearing a mask and assuming an alter ego . I always wanted a crab costume, but could never get the carapace looking right. ", stated the embarrassed Crab warrior to the now silent War Council.

"He's quoting some shield wielding fictional character named Captain of the Merikas. ", offered an echoing elven voice.

Erland broke the awkward moment first. "Err...Moving right along. What do we know about Champion Felwind and the Order of the Ice Griffon during the battle. Or more correctly, his lack of presence during the battle. ", inquired the champion.

"I've used my magic to attempt to scry their locations. Most of their order has retreated to Griffon's Eryie. Champion Felwind, his children, and many of his elite knights however are protected from my divinations. I suspect they have warded themselves against my clairvoyant magic. ", noted Champion Fleur.

A bandaged Ivanovic rose weakly to his feet. "During the battle, I was escorting the Lady Sharliss to safety. I was ambushed by Stormfeather during the melee. As I laid dieing, I saw the Griffon Prince take off with Lady Sharliss. Perhaps you can discern her location instead. ", noted the Silver Arbiter.

Erland and Fleur nodded to the old warrior in approval. "A clever idea. I shall attempt a spell immediately at your command. " , offered the petite woman. Erland nodded and the Narwhal Champion immediately began a ritual of arcane somatic gestures and fell into a trance. After awhile her eyes opened wide in awareness. "She is aboard a boat of bronze and iron , somewhere in the north seas. She is there against her will. I think she was warded against scyring as well, but she has negated some of the wards placed on her. ", reported Fleur. The narwhal Champion's amazon like body guard then whispered something in her ear. "A bronze and iron vessel named the Acheron was seen in harbor before the battle. It left before the raid began . ", related Fleur to the rest of the War Council.

A chorus of anger rang through the tent but Erland raised his hand to silence them. " Before we jump to conclusions, I might remind you of the small army of seers that Felwind employs. Before we assume he was in league with the giants, it could very well be the fact he had some other motive for fleeing the battle. I will charge Champion Fleur's knights to bring him in for questioning. As for Prince Stormfeather, cowardly assaulting an Arbiter and kidnapping are grave offenses. He will surrender to the council as well. If they wish to defend themselves against these charges, I will be happy to hear them out. If they resist my summons then you have my permission to mete out justice as you see fit. , ", commanded the Grand Champion.

Fleur nodded and accepted the challenge with a smile. Her body guard cracked her large knuckles in anticipation.

"Is the affair with the Grommers settled ? I did not think they would aid us in battle after the incident in Grom City. ", inquired Aethulwulf.

"Any misgivings...my Order has had with the Grommers has...been absolved. They saved my order from annihilation and have won ...the respect of my Order. ", wheezed a shaking Kalinka, her condition seemed to have worsen since last she spoke. Aethulwulf gave the old woman a disapproving stare. With Felwind gone, she had been her last ally against the growing Grommish corruption.

Erland sighed. "I've talked to their ambassador and we've come to an agreement. Whatever differences we've had in the past has been temporarily resolved. Our treaty is once again in effect till the issue with the giants have been resolved. I suspect both our nations will have full answers about the raid in Grom City once Felwind is brought to question. I am wary of Grommers, but I can understand greater foes are currently at our doorstep. "

"Sooo...Speaking of greater foes. What are we gonna do about the rock dudes? ", inquired Frank eagerly.

"My scouts report that the winds and seas have turned against us. Even the Order of the Griffon would have trouble reaching Frost haven now. ", grumbled Erland.

"We can't leave Fetch...err the Warmaster by himself. I believe Champion Frank's tale about elementals attempting to retrieve some artifact are true. The giant's exile from their own lands is proof enough. We need to help him . ", demanded Hero of the boar. Of all the Champions gathered, she had known the Warmaster the longest, even longer then the hero Frank.

"I'll see if I can get the Treekeeper to whip something up. I'm at a lost for ideas here. ", shrugged Erland.

Aethulwulf sighed then reluctantly stood up. " I can get us there . I may be the least experienced of the Champions, but I have been privy to my order's secrets for a long time. I can bring a small band of us, lets say five, to Frosthaven , or even Ogremoch's Iceberg. Beyond that I can not say anymore. Meet me at the edge of my encampment in the morning if you wish to accept my passage. "

Erland was intrigued at this revelation and nodded. " It is settled then. Champion Brita will rebuild her order and coordinate the defenses of Narwhal hold against the giants, or perhaps the elementals. Ivanovic and the minor orders will assist her while harassing our enemies retreat. Aethulwulf of the Mammoth, Hero of the Boar, Surry of the Ice Elves, Champion Frank , and of course myself shall go assist the Warmaster in stopping the elementals. ", stated the Grand Champion. No one questioned his decision.

Besides the growing storm to the east, there was a dark cloud that hung over Narwhal hold. The giants were defeated but still a threat up north, the Order of the Ice Griffon had seemingly abandoned their allies, and the threat of a mad elemental god overshadowed all. Grim days were still ahead. Even though they had won a great battle, only the mad or foolish celebrated the victory.

* * *

><p>"Giants Lose ! Grommers Rule! ", exclaimed Zax as he raised his glass in a celebratory toast.<p>

" Victory forever! ", declared Lord Quick loudly in response. Ramirez and several others raised their glasses as well.

The two Royal Adventurers were quick to celebrate the recent battle. Zax was simply glad to have survived the nonsense with the half goof ball. With the departure of the Acheron, the tiefling thought he was stuck in Narwhal's hold, fortunately Lord Quick's arrival proved to be a generous boon and seemingly a safe ride back to civilization.

The Indomitable had suffered extensive hull damage, but the ship was basically intact. Captain Ramirez had wisely relocated his command bridge to the Imperial for the time being. Lord Quick was reluctant at first to move to the oddly shaped vessel , but quickly relented when he discovered it had a fully furnished ball room. It was only a matter of time till the Elven Lord ordered a celebration for their grand victory.

"Captain Ramirez ! Why in the Emperor's name is there a ball room on this weird sea shelled shaped war vessel? ", asked the tipsy Elf Lord .

Ramirez shrugged. "It's called a nautiloid I've been told. I'm not a military historian, but I've heard that the entire skyfleet was bought by Emperor Baktu centuries ago while he was in a strange dimension. Believe it or not, most of these vessels were originally merchant or pleasure craft. Over the years, they've been reinforced , refitted , and converted to the mighty war vessels they are now. I would like to note, that despite their power, most Skyships still serve mainly in a transport role. ", explained the Captain cheerfully.

Zax ignored the explanation and instead concentrated on the party's guests. He noted that there was a good girl to guy ratio aboard, which of course made it a much better party. Lord Quick had invited some Tattooed elven exotic dancer or something , who in turn dragged the Treekeepr Surry person and the dangerous looking dark winged angel along. The tiefling noted they were chatting quite a bit , and wondered if the sharp faced Treekeeper Surry was the exotic dancer's old sister, or perhaps mother. Zax of course brought along Darwen, Isula, Rollo, Petrus and Ogela. He wasn't sure if Adria actually counted as a woman, but Petrus had summoned her and she seemed to mingle effortlessly with the Grommers aboard.

Zax scanned the room , and noted Rollo fumbling in his attempts to woo Ogela. Darwen and Isula was deep in some worried conversation with each other while Petrus was flaunting his resume or something to some important looking Grommish officers.

"This is a great party ! You really outdid yourself this time Lord Quick ! ", declared Zax as he raised a glass of sparkling water. The tiefling would have preferred Elven wine, or Grommish brandy, but Darwen had cut him off after one drink. She said something about him being a feather weight drinker or something. Zax of course protested, but relented from his partner's often wiser judgement.

Partner...that was something that sounded odd to the tiefling, but felt so right. He looked at the stern faced elf talking to Isula, and his knees got weak. Was he ready for this kind of commitment? He had traveled with Darwen for several months now but they shared only an unspoken agreement. With his declaration of love after the battle, it was all out in the open . He was afraid she would laugh or even worse reject his clumsy affirmation, but the elf accepted him completely.

A small part of him wondered if her own admission was born out of fear or lack of self confidence. A much greater part of him didn't care. He would follow her, fight for her , and lie and cheat for her if need be. Correction, he would continue to follow, fight and do anything he could for her.

"You were saying something Sir Zax? ", asked Lord Quick . The elven lord was chatting up the lovely dark winged angel and had ignored the tiefling's initial comment. After his conversation with the feathered warrior was deemed unsuccessful he turned his attention back to Zax.

The tiefling snapped out of his deep thoughts for his companion and raised his glass to the elven Lord. "I said this was a great party!", declared Zax.

"Ahh yes, and why shouldn't it be ? We have much to celebrate ! We reestablished diplomatic relations with our northern allies, we vanquished a hated foe, and I can return back to Grom with the Emperor's Favor. All we need now is Lady Sharliss safe aboard , and we can make a quick return. ", declared Lord Quick.

"Oh? Sharliss isn't here yet? She loves parties . I thought she already arrived.", commented Zax.

Lord Quick stopped, "Wait...I thought you were suppose to be her guardian. If she's not with you, then where is she? ", stammered the elf with a shudder of panic.

"Umm...Maybe she's helping the wounded. She's a healer, and she loves to do that healing stuff. ", shrugged Zax who also sensed something was wrong.

Lord Quick began to sweat profusely," No..no..no...no...no...This can't be happening. You're dead...I'm dead...we're both dead if the Emperor finds out she's been harmed. That's why I've come up here, to make sure she's ok. If something has happened to her, and Emperor Clovis finds out we've helped her to escape Grom City...I fear for our lives. ", whispered the elf tensely.

"Eh? You're Lord Quick. The new Sir Eggbert, the Lion of Grom. People are suppose to be afraid of you, not the other way around. ", puzzled Zax .

"You don't understand. From my brief time as Sir Eggbert, I've discovered there's hidden branches of the government . Besides the Royal Adventurer's the Emperor employs assassins to do his dirty work. ", explained the elf.

"Hor'deurve? ", asked a non descript steward with a platter. The waiter interrupted the pair's conversation, but the elf and tiefling happily gobbled up the tasty treats he served.

"Delicious. ", declared Lord Quick . The cracker , meat , olive treat seemed to have calmed the elf a bit. The elf looked around and saw only Zax and the insignificant server were the only ones in earshot. "I've done some research and found out that Old Karak had several assassins at his disposal. I also discovered General Olive had her own even more deadly hired killers at her beck and call. If Sharliss is harmed and our names are connected to it, ...welll let's say I fear the worse. ", declared Lord Quick as he ate another snack.

Zax was paralyzed with fright. It sounded ridiculous. Grom employing trained assassins to make its enemies vanish? That was absurd. Regardless if it was an empire or Republic, the government was based on laws. Or so he thought. He took another snack from the non descript server and pondered deeply over Lord Quick's statement. "I dunno, I have doubts about assassins, ninjas or whatever. Even if they exist, how will they find out about the aid we provided Sharliss. We took great pains in covering our tracks. ", stated Zax.

"Will that be all? ", asked the non descript server.

"Nah stay...I'm still hungry and these cracker things are delicious. ",commented Zax.

Lord Quick took a deep breath and sighed. "I suppose you're right. I guess I did get carried away about assassins in our midst. However, we should discover Sharliss's fate just to be on the safe side. She was with you when you reached Narwhal hold right? "

"Yeah, I got here safe and sound. Then she agreed to some political marriage or something. I lost track of her during the battle. Maybe one of my companions has seen her. ", offered Zax.

"A political marriage? Perhaps she got cold feet. I've been engaged to several women in the past that ran from the altar at the last moment. ", waxed Lord Quick nostalgically.

"Well, she can run all she wants. As long as she's safe we're out of hot water correct? ", queried Zax.

The non descript server eyed them both with shocked glances but stayed silent. He offered the pair one last round of snacks before continuing his serving rounds.

"We have to get her back Zax. You know this area and these barbarians better then I do. I'm putting you in charge of this. All our resources are at your disposal.", ordered Lord Quick . He then went to make inquiries of his own leaving Zax alone to ponder his next actions.

"Darwen , Isula! Have you seen Sharliss? ", asked Zax as he munched on the last few crackers. Darwen had been at his side the entire time, but Isula had just recently returned . Zax noted she was carrying a new axe, and some other baubles , and suspected she took off to do some extra curricular looting. The tiefling wondered if he could convince her that he deserved a cut of her plunder .

"We were just talking about that. We haven't seen her either. She was with you last wasn't she? ", asked Darwen nervously.

Zax scratched his head, then he recalled her ugly sister. " Wait...that ugly broad over there with the hot chick with the skin art ? She's her sister, or half sister or something. She would know. ", declared the tiefling.

"The treekeeper is Sharliss's sister ? She mentioned a relationship to her, I did not realize they were related. ", spoke Darwen in awe.

"Frankly I don't see the resemblance at all. ", noted Isula .

The trio made their way to Surry and her tattooed friend. Zax noted that the nondescript server was with them, but more importantly his platter was once again full.

"I wish I could help, but my Order has literally been crushed by the last giant invasion. Kalinka's body had been shattered as well, its up to me to defend Narwhal's keep in case the giants return. ", complained the tattooed elf in frustration. Zax had no wish to listen in to their conversation as he awaited a more suitable time to interrupt.

"Snappy has asked me to retrieve this Storm Orb or something like that. I'm tied up as well. From what Ivanovic and Fleur has told me, she's currently in the company of the Griffon , aboard , I'm guessing, the Acheron. I'm pretty sure she's held against her will, but lets hope she isn't. ", sighed Surry.

Zax sensed an opening and took it. "Excuse me , ladies. ",smiled the tiefling, "I can't help but overhear you talking about my dear companion Sharliss. ".

"And you are? ", asked the Tattooed woman politely but her eyes betrayed her suspicion, as she scanned for horns , fangs, or most likely a pitchfork.

"I am Zax! Royal Adventurer, Champion of the Furry Dog, and a dear friend of Sharliss. ", declared the tiefling proudly.

Surry nodded in confirmation. "Zax, this is Brita. She is a good friend of Sharliss's parents. We would both like to see her returned safely but our hands are currently tied.", relented the Treekeeper.

Darwen appeared to be in some euphoric shock as she met Brita. "You...you're the princess of the Ice Elves. I'm ..I'm Darwen. I was told about you, but I never thought I would ever meet you! ", the Elven bladesinger blurted out.

Brita and Surry both appeared shock that the newcomer had recognized Brita's birthright. They both stood awkwardly in silence, exchanging glances at each other, before the nondescript servant accidentally bumped the Tattooed beauty forwards. "Yes...yes that is I. I am surprised you know of this, Lady Darwen. Most elves of our scattered tribe do not know my relationship to the old line of kings. May I inquire how you know this? ", asked the warrior sorceress.

Darwen turned red and was stunned that her revelation proved correct, she too was at a lost for words till Zax gently prodded her forwards. "My old master claimed to be a bladesinger that protected the fallen king and his family. During our exile, he told me he served as a guardian for the young princess at the Eagle Lake Barony , till he had a dispute with the princess's guardians. He left broken hearted and wandered Grom for many years. Eventually he settled in the elven alienage district of Grom City where he taught me the ancient skills of bladesinging. I am not sure his true name, since he went by several aliases, but he wielded the blade Ananaur . I have its twin Sananaur. "

Surry regarded her with suspicion. "Wait...Sananaur isn't even an elven word. And look...your scabbard has the words Ananaur written on it. ", pointed out the treekeeper.

Brita raised a hand and signaled the Treekeeper to stop. "I acknowledge your acute sense of observation. I do fondly recall your master , and I am surprised you are able to recognize me based solely on his descriptions. ", praised the sorceress.

"Your beauty ...is hard to describe ..but easy to recognize. ", blurted Darwen . After her statement , Zax noted that his companion quickly regretted her cheesy compliment.

Brita bowed slightly and accepted the compliment with grace.

"Well if she is a bladesinger like she claims to be, then it shouldn't be that big a deal. Not only do they weave spell, and sword, they are supposedly great orators. Their songs are suppose to be so vivid and rich that they convey more information about our past then any book. ", noted the Treekeeper.

Darwen nodded in confusion. Zax suspected that Surry could have said anything at that point, and his companion would continue to nod.

"Sorry to interrupt your elven reunion , ladies, but as I was saying I believe I can help. I will have the full resources of Grom, and the full powers of a Royal Adventurer to track our wayward friend. Now that I know her predicament, no force in the north shall stop me from bringing her to safety. ", smiled Zax.

Darwen looked at Zax suspiciously .

Zax gave her a mocking glare then smiled. "What? Surprise I would volunteer for this crazy mission. I know you almost as much as you know me. You would have volunteered if I didn't . Since I could never leave your side, I would be forced to reluctantly come along. At least this way I get to score some hero points. ", winked the tiefling.

* * *

><p>Brita sat precariously on the rigging of the Imperial. The proud shell fish shaped warship was formerly called the Republic, but was renamed after its near destruction then repair after the raid on Grom City. The Sorceress stared at the great camp of knights below her, and silently wished she was one of them once again. Becoming the Champion of the Snow Lion was an immense honor, but already she was feeling the burden of her command.<p>

If she was still a Knight of Winter, she would not have hesitated to seek out the kidnapped Hush. Now , the weight of the entire north were on her inked athletic shoulders. Her daughter Syr was also chained to duty it seemed. Brita was a bit jealous that her eccentric daughter had gotten closer to the Warmaster then herself, and was surprised that she did not forsake her duties to go rescue her. Brita always preached duty over all else, even family, but right now her own words stabbed her painfully in the heart.

Brita felt a cold breeze,and pulled her cloak closer to her. She wasn't cold , her ice elf heritage made her quite resistant to the harsh climate of the north, but thoughts of Hush in danger made her shudder in dread. Hush was Fetch and Tyris's daughter . She was only adopted but the Sorceress could see the bond the three of them shared. If anything happened to her, it would be devastating to the pair. Brita likened such a loss as if she lost Syr or her brother Agnar. It was too painful to even think.

The sorceress loved her daughter Syr, despite their often rocky history. Syr recently threatened to reveal Brita's dark heritage to her peers if she did not go against Kalinka in the council. Her daughter thought she would relent to her demands, but Brita was prepared to accept the humiliation instead. The sorceress knew that Syr only threatened her to save her people, but it still wounded her deeply. Of her children, Brita worried about Syr the most. Agnar was fairly well adjusted and most importantly had found his place in life. He even found a loving wife and was doing quite well for himself in Lower Lueders. Syr on the other hand had always been so full of anger, spite, and loneliness. Even with her exalted title of Treekeeper, and her accomplishments as an Archmage, her daughter was a bitter lonely empty woman. Her edge had softened during the past few years, but there was a void in her daughter's heart that Brita feared would eventually consume her. It was a feeling that the Tattooed sorceress knew way too well.

"Why...I'm glad I'm not a painter. If I was, I would immediately capture this scene . The lovely mistress of the lion blade, dark hair billowing in the wind, while sitting forlorn on the riggings . Her sapphire like eyes, glowing in the darkness, contrasting her beautifully etched skin. Such a painting could never be topped, and I'm afraid my career would forever be ruined. ", smiled a nondescript interloper emerging from the darkness.

Brita smiled at the flattering comment, even though she did not detect him , she was not surprised at finding him here. " I was wondering when you would come. The party seemed so pointless.", she said while motioning him to sit next to her.

The nondescript man seemed to vanish from sight before balancing himself on the rigging even more precariously then the sorceress.

"Show off. ", she smiled playfully.

"I know what you are thinking, but I don't think you'll have to worry that much. I can't think of a better rescue vessel then the Imperial. Even though Lord Quick is motivated only by self preservation, he made the right decision in placing the Imperial under Champion Zax's command. ", assured the assassin.

"I hardly know anything about him. Only tales , wild stories, and bizarre anecdotes involving hags, duels, and rats with acid blood . Can I trust him and his friends to rescue Sharliss? ", challenged Brita.

Earl shrugged, "First off , this isn't the first time that Zax has rescued Sharliss. Do you remember the incident with the Avatar of Myleka. That was Zax.", noted the assassin.

"Really? I was told it was some nameless tiefling carriage driver, not some Royal Adventurer. ", declared the sorceress in surprise.

Earl nodded. "I haven't witnessed all his exploits, and I think most are rather ...embellished. However, Tyris trusts him. She gave him her sword you know. "

"Dragonsflame? ", declared the sorceress in surprise once more.

Earl continue to nod. "Most importantly, Zax and his crew, they are Sharliss's friends. She wanted to come up here to her father. Clovis was wise enough to forbade it, but she came anyways. She couldn't have come here by herself you know, it is not an easy journey without a skyship. They may be foolish, but they are loyal. I don't know what else you can ask. ", sighed the assassin.

The pair sat on the rigging quietly enjoying the magnificent aerial view. Suddenly the Sorceress darted forward and kissed the assassin on the cheek.

"Thank you for the rescue earlier. I ..I didn't think I would ever see you again after our last meeting, yet somehow I knew you were on those skyships. It might seem foolish, but I imagined you leading the charge against the giants, just to save me. ", teased Brita.

Earl laughed lightly. "Yes...something like that. About our last meeting...", began the assassin but was interrupted.

"Wait...I've been giving it a lot of thought. I can see now that I was too constraining and too hasty in my demands. I can't expect you to change so quickly and completely just for me. I was being selfish , I was blinded by ideology and I apologize . Despite your...profession.. I know there's good in you. When I saw you come to my rescue, my heart stopped. It was then that I knew that maybe I can change as well. ", admitted the beautiful sorceress.

Earl stared at her with an unreadable expression. He then laughed lightly to himself. "You know, when you told me I must give up my villainous ways, I thought you were crazy. I kill enemies of the state, be they external ,internal , or ...political. That's what I do , that's who I am. That was one thing I could never give up. When we left, I thought I could find another or at least go back to the way I was...but I was wrong. The only thing worse then a broken soul, is a broken soul that was once whole. It may sound cliche, but I didn't realize how much I would miss you , or how hollow my life was till you were gone. ", the assassin admitted.

Brita smiled gently at Earl's confession, "As a rule , paladins and assassins don't mix. However, I'll bend a bit if you do as well. I'm not sure how my vows and beliefs will reconcile this concession, but just try to be ...i don't know ...a bit more discriminate about your 'work' for Grom. ", the sorceress said uneasily with little conviction that it would work.

Earl then started to laugh again, but this time much louder. The assassin often took great pains to not stand out from a crowd, but his laughter caught the attention of the sentries and some of the party goers. Due to their odd location, no one could locate them, but Brita did note the out of character reaction of the normally stealthy man.

Earl then reached out and caressed the dark hair of the Sorceress. Brita thought she would pull away from his hand, but she eagerly accepted his touch as he stroked her midnight hair. "My dear Brita. Since we last met, I've quit my role as Sir Eggbert. Quit my job as a Royal Adventurer, and quit being the Republic's or the Crown's trouble shooter. I didn't come here as an observer for Clovis, I came here so I can see you. I still have connections with Reinhardt but those are more personal ties rather then professional ones. I no longer kill for my masters , since I acknowledge no one. No one of course, except the mistress of my heart. ", confessed the ex assassin.

Brita's face was locked in surprise as she comprehended his statement , then the paladin sorceress and the ex assassin exchanged a long passionate kiss. It was foolish to think that this mismatched relationship could last, but at the instant their love seemed eternal. It seemed a perfect moment to the odd couple sitting on the riggings of a shell shaped skyship sailing gently across the night sky. A tear came to Brita's eyes as she hoped her daughter would one day find her perfect moment.


	63. Chapter 63

The Sadaharu sailed into the harbor of Frosthaven unmolested by wind or giant. Fierce winds swirled around the small fishing vessel as it drifted by massive statues of various giant kings and queens that adorned the city. Everything about the city screamed giant. From its huge stoic guardians, to its massive buildings , and even its towering walls.

Sarin and his company were humbled by the sight. They would have smashed into a sheet of ice as they stood dumbfounded by the sight, where it not for the hardy crab sailors aboard. The crab merchantmen were in awe of the ancient city as well, but fortunately they had already witnessed its wonders before.

"Hey...that one looks like Isula. ", noted Nymk as she pointed to a particular fearsome giant statue. Sarin looked at the towering behemoth and nodded in agreement. He wasn't sure if they were carved from ice or stone, but he could definitely see a resemblance. The half elf was never fully convinced that his fallen companion was actually a giant, but the statue definitely made a strong case for her racial heritage.

"Look! A signal ! ", declared Kirgi as he pointed to the docks. Sure enough, a light flashed several times in a row then paused before flashing twice again.

A crab sailor nodded and orders were issued to the crew. The large vessel swung towards the signal as the sailors were careful testing the depth of the harbor. Even though the temperatures around them were freezing cold, some magic in the harbor kept it ice free. Despite the boon, the sailors were careful not to risk sinking the ship , especially after such a long and safe journey.

"Hold! ", shouted Kania suddenly. Despite suspecting something off about the captivating nature priestess, the crab crew obeyed her without hesitation. Sarin warned her against using her natural ability to break wills, but he suspected her commands were followed due to her majestic beauty and charming voice.

As the vessel banked to reduce its speed, a swarm of dark shadows could be seen ahead of them. The shadows were spotted underneath the waves, and the crew were thankful they had obeyed Kania's orders.

"What in the abyss are those things? ", asked Halvor, more out of curiosity then fright.

Kirgi peered into the waves but to no avail. Whatever was there was gone now. "I'll get Flippy to find out! ", suggested Kirgi in a rare moment of insight.

The Sadaharu waited in position for awhile, as the dwarf started making clicking and clacking noises to his new animal companion. The grey skinned dolphin flapped its flippers before diving into the waves. After a few minutes it returned and unleashed a torrent of clicks and clacks.

"Giant frozen lobster men? Does that mean anything to anyone?", asked the dwarf in his ignorance.

The crab crew and Nymk suppressed a shudder. "Polar Chuul.", they said in hushed tones.

* * *

><p>Sharliss took account of the resources available to her, as she was confined to her small state room.<p>

They had taken her open palm symbol of Koryis to prevent her from praying for new divine spells. She could replicate her simple holy symbol with just her open palm. It would allow her to cast spells but not recover any. She had used many litanys already in the giant battle, so her divine magic was in short supply. She was an accomplished wizard, but her arcane ability would be no where near enough to over power her Griffon captors. She did not have access to her spell books, but since she rarely used them, she had her full complement of arcane spells at her disposal. The priestess suspected her foes did no know of her arcane power, so she was careful not to reveal it till the time was right.

Besides her arcane and divine spells , she sensed she had even darker innate magics inside of her. It was in a place she dared not tread. They were dark unholy magics that she feared would consume her if she released them. Since she was aware of them, she had suppressed them . Despite her devotion to Koryis the god of peace , and her desire to do good in the world, her concealed powers were an ugly reminder of who she really was. Sharliss had controlled and suppressed these dark gifts , just as she bound her wings to her back. The priestess knew it was a denial of truth, but it had proved an effective way to exert control over her sinister bloodline.

As the priestess contemplated her own nature, a knock came at the door.

Sharliss ignored it , but knew they would enter anyway. It was just a form of control disguised as a courtesy . Similar to the way she suppressed her own nature, she thought grimly.

As on cue, the door opened slightly ajar. "Are you decent? ", chuckled Stormfeather as he entered the room anyways.

Sharliss sat on her bed and remained quiet .

"Awww...where's all that fire and spunk you had earlier? Oh...don't tell me. You are planning an escape . Waiting for the perfect moment to strike and over power me. ", teased the Griffon Prince. To emphasis his point , he turned around exposing his back the priestess, while comically scanning for her in an empty corner.

"After you take me out, it will be an easy task to defeat the rest of the buccaneers, and of course the elite members of the Order of the Griffon. I will assume you will evade my father and siblings, since defeating them would be impossible. I am trying to make this a plausible escape attempt you know. After you take out half the crew , you'll figure out how to pilot the vessel, less it sinks forever beneath the waves, or worse yet it's fiery engines explodes. From there, you will use your magic to calm the destructive storm above us, and then summon a beast to fly you to safety! ", declared the Prince smugly with his back still turned.

Sharliss did not take the bait and continue to remain silent.

Stormfeather waited for an angry retort but when none came, he simply turned around in disappointment. "No fun at all! That's what you are! ", he declared playfully.

"Tell me, what's it gonna take to get a reaction from you. You are gonna be either my future wife or future concubine, so we should get acquainted. I'm a firm believer that communication is key in a marriage .", the Griffon Prince declared to the still silent Sharliss.

Stormfeather studied her closely then leaned in obtrusively close to the priestess. "Unless of course you want to skip all that talk. I can make you scream or moan instead of talking , if that's what you desire.", he threatened in a deep hungry voice. Sharliss suppressed a giggle, as he thought the Prince sounded like his Uncle Frank when he was trying to pick up women in the bar. Despite the odious nature of his threat, the priestess did not respond or show emotion to her captor. It was a small victory but a victory none the less.

Stormfeather sighed disappointed that even threats of a sexual nature did not intimate the lovely priestess. " Ok...I'll tell you what. I want to get some conversation out of you, and you don't want to talk. So let's have a fair trade. You can ask me whatever you like ,and I'll answer your question as honestly as I can. ", proposed the Prince.

Sharliss raised an eyebrow. She certainly did not expect this .

Stormfeather grinned as he saw the inquisitive look on the priestess. "Go ahead...ask anything. How many men on board, where are we headed. What ever you like. I just want to hear your enchanting voice. ", flattered the prince.

Sharliss considered his offer then carefully chose her words. "How did you get Captain Blaze to work for you? Are you pressuring her to do it?"

Stormfeather chuckled. " She's not under any form of duress to the best of my knowledge. We did offer her a ton of gold though, if that counts. The Order of the Griffon and elves don't normally mix, but we needed her ship's unique abilities, and she wanted our cash. Seems like a good trade to me. She seemed torn about the whole thing,stating something about she's already contracted out to someone, but in the end she chose the winning side. Merchant lord, privateer, or whatever she wants to claim to be, in the end she's nothing but a greedy pirate. "

Sharliss considered his statement and shook her head. "All this for a few coins..." , she sighed.

"It's not just a few my dear. That elf drives a hard bargain, but I suppose if you want to work with brigands, expect to be robbed. ", the prince chuckled.

Sharliss grinned at his jest , but quickly suppressed it.

"Ahh...you can't hide that smile from me. I saw that sly grin. Admit it. I'm pleasant company am I not? ", teased Stormfeather.

Sharliss remained impassive once again. She admitted he was somewhat amusing, but he was also ruthless and harbored perverse thoughts of his own sister of all things. It gave the priestess chills just thinking about it.

The Griffon prince gave Sharliss a smug look before retreating from her cabin. " That will be enough one on one time for now. Get some rest, we'll be landing in a few hours. Unlike affable little old me, pops won't take fatigue as an excuse when he begins our forced march. Hostage or not, you will march to his orders, or he will make you march. ", he warned.

* * *

><p>The mighty Imperial drifted high above the turbulent storms. An unrelenting maelstrom of wind, ice and snow raged below. The Grommish warship flew proudly above the blizzard, undeterred from its mission.<p>

"So ...does this make me Captain Zax? ", asked the tiefling excitedly.

"...No...I am the captain , though the ship is at your service. ", replied Captain Magnus of the Imperial. The grizzled veteran had suffered humility after humility the last few months. First , his vessel was almost destroyed by a battery of Dragon Golems of all things. Second, his proud ship Republic was renamed the Imperial by the newly appointed Emperor. Magnus argued that you can't go renaming vessels, but the snotty merchant made king dismissed his comment. After that they were sent up north on a diplomatic mission of all things. Magnus would rather bomb these traitorous knights then talk to them, but orders were orders. As they approached the pile of rocks called Narwhal hold , they were given an excellent opportunity to either bomb their foes or watch them and the giants rip each other apart. An order from the Indomitable forced their hand to assist the same people that attacked the capital earlier. Magnus could make no sense of such an order but he complied anyways. After all, he was still a proud captain of the Grommish Skyship Fleet, a proud prestigious military institution. That pride however was once again put to the test as Lord Quick ordered his vessel to be at the services of ...of a filthy tiefling.

"Captain Magnus... the storm is intensifying . Shall we increase our altitude. ", asked one of the Imperial's officers.

"Make it so. ", ordered the Captain . Magnus gazed at the storm battering his skyship , and wondered what was the reason for this mission. The Indomitable would have been a better choice for this expedition, but it was currently grounded and under repairs. The Invincible was better armored, but its hull was limited . It was one of the few pure war ships of the Grommish fleet. The Imperial was a nice balance of armor, speed , and comfort. Magnus often bragged that his vessel was the most underrated ship of the fleet, and a bit of bad weather wasn't going to delay his mission.

"Sir Zax...may I inquire the exact details of this mission. If secrecy is required I will understand, but perhaps if I knew what our goal is , I can better help you accomplish it. ", asked the Captain in his most diplomatic voice. The truth of the matter was he would have been happy to throw the repulsive tiefling overboard. Although most of his crew did not seem to have a problem with Zax's racial heritage, Magnus had lost a nephew during the many tiefling uprisings in the north. The most recent being Duke Ari's rampage during the siege of McDunnalds.

Zax nodded, but peered around the enclosed bridge first. Unlike the Indomitable, most of the vessel was hidden behind the massive shell/hull of the vessel. A few officers and crewmen were on board, but Zax did not seem to be looking for them. "We are on a mission to recover the Warmaster's daughter. ", he whispered .

Magnus nodded. "I figured as much. Do we have intel that she is somewhere in these damned storms ?", inquired the captain further.

Zax nodded, "Look...between you and me...I'm hoping for a very uneventful mission, if you catch my drift. It would please me if we just did a few patrols over the area, and return home empty handed. Lord Quick want's this done more then I do, so just put on a good show to make it look like we did our job. ", added the tiefling in a conspirator's tone.

Magnus was not surprised at the tiefling's subterfuge. He was horrified though at the prospect of abandoning the Warmaster's daughter. Even though he was a northerner, the Warmaster had avenged his nephew by personally breaking Duke Ari's forces . "What about the Warmaster's daughter? ", asked the captain with a hardened expression.

Zax shrugged. "Sharliss is my friend, but its like finding a needle in a haystack here. Hey , I want to rescue her, I really do, but lets be realistic here. If we attempted to land this tub, we'll be smashed by the storms. Even if we do make it to the ground, the elementals would probably tear us apart. If by some miracle we survived, then there's the matter of wresting her from the Order of the Griffon. Fat chance of that happening I think. The proper tools for the proper job I say, and I doubt this flying shell fish can handle it. In fact, I'm surprised its still flying, I was sure this flimsy looking thing was blown to smithereens or something during the battle over Grom City. So let's do everyone a favor and stay safe, put on a good show, before heading home empty handed. ", suggested the tiefling.

Magnus was incensed. To suggest to leave a damsel in distress was already loathsome enough, but to insult his proud vessel was unforgivable. To suggest it wasn't up to the task was as grave an insult as the Captain could imagine.

"A simple fly around sir? Understood. ", seethed the Captain .

Zax looked at Magnus and frowned. "Hey...are you sick or something? You look all red and sweaty. It's not contagious is it? ", observed the tiefling before taking a few steps safely back .

* * *

><p>Frank stopped and stared. "I wasn't expecting this...", commented the Champion of the Crab.<p>

Aethulwulf slapped his old subordinate on the back. "This , my friend, is the reason that the full name of my Order is called "Ghost Mammoth". ", declared the Champion of the Mammoth proudly. Aethulfwulf patted the large spectral construct. He seemingly summoned it earlier from a small ice carving . It's shape was hard to make out, but it took the form of a hazy see through mammoth. Above it was a spectral Howdah seemingly attached to the massive beast without a harness. It was a bizarre sight to say the least.

Erland scratched his head, "Wait...I always thought you guys were the Order of the Mammoth because ...you guys ride mammoths. ", asked the Grand Champion.

Aethwulf laughed, "That's funny , especially coming from the Champion of the Squirrel. Oh please tell us mighty Erland why your order doesn't ride squirrels? We ride mammoths, because they are dependable and sturdy beasts. We often wonder why everyone doesn't ride the noble mammoth. Our order on the other hand was named for this magical item recovered from some dragon horde centuries ago. It was the catalyst of my people's initial military successes. It can travel great distances and allow it and its riders to attack the enemy's rear or flank with ease. We seldom it use since its our ace in the hole or trump card so to speak. However, I believe the current crisis warrants it use. "

"Wait , you guys don't ride squirrels? ", asked Frank in shock.

"Don't be stupid Frank. Snappy's order is famous for riding horses, so they can run away from squirrels. ", commented an irritated Surry. Frank had known Surry since their days in the Third Army of Grom, and the Crab warrior noted she was just as shrill now as she was back then.

"Why aren't you guys called the Order of the Horse then ?", snipped Frank to Erland, even though his annoyance was directed at Surry.

"I don't see you guys ride crabs. Your order should be called the Order of the boat then. ", huffed Erland in return.

"Some of us DO ride crabs for your information. ", declared Frank in irritation.

"ENOUGH!", shouted Hero of the Boar angrily. "I don't care for the reasons why your orders are named for what they are. We have elementals to kill and we were promised a ride. ", barked the Champion of the Boar. Although the dark haired woman was the youngest of the Champions, her many exploits garnered her great respect, even from the Grand Champion.

"Errr yes. As I was saying , the Ghost Mammoth is a unique magic item. Similar to the marble elephant that the Great Sampson once possessed. Although the construct it summons is not as powerful physically as its more common variety, it allows the rider to transport a small group vast distances an through seemingly impassable barriers. I believe we can bring our group to Ogremoch's glacier and recover this Orb thing before the elemental's plans come to fruition . ", explained Aethulwulf . The Mammoth warrior was unique amongst the current champions. Despite his skill in battle , he was more known for his tactical and strategic planning then his strength in personal combat. When the previous champion Magdar died , his appointment was greeted with veiled criticism. However , with the backing of Lady Janya of the Mammoth , Aethulwulf had since been proven a wise choice.

The Mammoth warrior easily climbed up the spectral fur of the construct and lowered a rope bridge to the waiting Champions.

"Ladies first. ", declared Frank with a bow. Surry and Hero graciously climbed aboard, with the Crab Champion slyly eying their ascent.

* * *

><p>Halvor eyed the dark shadows under the waves. The big knight suppressed a shudder as he thought he saw them returning his gaze.<p>

"Why aren't they attacking us?", Halvor asked one of the crab sailors.

The sailor began to answer but Lady Kania replied first. "Chuul are slow beasts. Unlike sharks who chase their prey, the chitinous monsters rely on ambushes . I assume that since the giants have left, they have taken this harbor over and are using it for their hunting grounds. ", explained the lamia.

"What could they possibly be hunting now? The world is literally falling apart here. Giant Elementals are supposedly stomping the land. The entire north is engulfed by a blizzard, and the waves turn against us. Hell if I know why this ship isn't affected. ", commented Halvor as he watched the storms batter the waves just beyond their vessel.

Kania shrugged. "Perhaps they are just seeking shelter from the storm , like we are. ", guessed the Lamia priestess.

Sarin scowled as he overhead the conversation. "Regardless of why these Chuul are here, they are in our way. I don't know what providence protects our ship, but I won't rely on it forever. We need to get to that signal, and get these people safe. If we somehow accomplish that, then we can hunt down this artifact. ", scowled the paladin. Halvor noted that despite the half elf's insistence on this mission, he grudgingly respected the safety of the refugees first.

"What's this A then B then C stuff. ", snorted Kirgi. "Why don't we both at the same time? ", offered the dwarf.

* * *

><p>Sharliss was escorted to the deck of the bronze and iron ship. She appeared unchained but a locked bracelet was placed on her wrist to stop her magic. Sharliss had heard of such devices, and suspected it was some sort of refined dark iron . Despite her shackle, her Griffon guards eyed her warily. A particular brutish knight by the name of Sir Jurgen seemed to be in charge of her care.<p>

Even with her innate resistance to cold, the priestess felt a biting chill. It felt odd being on the deck of the Mighty Acheron once again. In the past she had defended the vessel against the Sahaugin, now she was a prisoner of the Griffon. Sharliss huddled against the fierce winds, but found no protection from the bitter cold she felt inside her heart.

"Lady Sharliss, so good to see you. ", smirked Captain Blaze arrogantly as she greeted the priestess.

Sharliss did not return her gaze and ignored the strutting elf.

"Don't be mad. I saw an opportunity and took it. It's just buisness. ", cooed the elf. "I thought Zax and I had similar interests, but sadly it was not the case. I really thought he was motivated by greed, but such was not the case. I was watching him with my magics. I saw he bravely fought some legendary Kraken monster during the giant raid. I can not ally myself with such a man or tiefling that believes in something as unpredictable as heroism and valor. The Griffon on the other hand, they are motivated purely by power . Something I can easily understand. ", continued the captain.

"Enough chit chat you bitches. The great hunting bird requires this one's presence . ", warned Sir Jurgen.

Blaze bristled at the knight's slur towards her, while Sharliss gave a smug smile at the elf's discomfort.

The small group marched off the deck off Acheron and onto the ice surrounding the vessel. There, a small band of Griffon knights awaited them. Sharliss recognized them as Stormfeather and his band of hand picked knights called the Windtalons.

"Ahh...our lovely hostage has arrived. Pops is waiting. " , commented the Griffon Prince , seemingly unaffected by the chilling wind.

"You know my sister and brother, Lionsong and Iceclaw right ? ", asked Stormfeather as he pointed out a particularly large man and a tall woman. Sharliss nodded and noticed that the large man stared blankly into the blizzard while the tall woman averted her gaze from her. The priestess suspected that the elven Privateer was without scruples, but saw that Lionsong at least felt some small regret for her part in this endeavor. The priestess noted that group was mainly dismounted save for an old man on a particularly large white scaled griffon at the rear.

Sharliss had never seen such a beast before . From all her time studying various manuals , folios, and tomes about monsters she had never encountered such a creature. Stormfeather spotted her look of puzzlement and gladly explained. "Ahh...you spotted Pop's mount. A unique creature. It's half dragon , half griffon, all cranky. Just like Pops! ", declared the prince with a chuckle.

" Took us years to get the damn things to breed, we had no success till Iceclaw accidentally fed our breeding stock some of that Agave juice from down south. ", declared Stormfeather proudly. He paused dramatically with a smirk then laughed. "Only kidding. We bought this egg from a wizard, that's all I know. ", admitted the prince.

"Anyways. Let's bag us some artifacts before Pops starts chopping heads. ", chuckled Stormfeather with levity in his voice, but menace in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Zax gripped anything he could find on the Imperial's bridge. The vessel shuddered ominously as Captain Magnus began descending through the clouds.<p>

"Ummm ...Captain? I thought the plan was we were to do some fly bys and return home? ", asked the tiefling in a small scared voice.

"Yes sir. However one of my spotters has noticed something near the target zone. ", answered Magnus curtly but loudly.

"Err, is that good or bad? ", puzzled Zax.

"Good...that means I can ditch you off my ship you miserable creature. ", mumbled the Captain under his breath.

"What was that? ", asked Zax as the ship shuddered violently once again.

"That remains to be seen sir. I will prepare supplies for your landing party if we find signs of the woman we seek. ", barked the Captain once again in a loud voice.


	64. Chapter 64

The blizzard was a maelstrom of fury and ice. The waves slammed against the small skiff as Sarin attempted to navigate the vessel away from the Sadaharu. Kania was on the oars, and she forced the small boat forwards through the rocky ocean. Her massive strength betrayed her lithe form. The half elf and the lamia were easily able to maintain their balance on the rocky ship, but the light weighted Nymk was tossed around. Sarin extended his hand to the disorientated swords woman and she gladly accepted it.

"So do you think this will work? ", shouted Nymk as she huddled next to the paladin.

Lady Kania peered at the rough waves and noted the dark mass following them. "It appears to be working. The chuul are following us. ", noted the white robed priestess.

As the skiff made its way through the turbulent waters, a massive claw shot out of the waves and smashed the rear of the vessel. It splintered the hardened wood of the skiff and latched onto the ship. Sarin calmly slammed his heavy mailed fist into it and the force of his blow cracked the shell of the claw. The chitinous appendage released its grip and thrashed wildly before submerging back into the rocky waves.

"That was a small one. The bigger ones are slower swimmers, but they will catch up soon enough. ", commented Sarin. "I'm actually surprised that this idea is working. ", he noted.

"Chuul are fairly single minded in purpose. Despite their dark reputations, they exist mainly to feed. They are like wolves or lions; they would prefer weak prey then strong ones. It does not seem unreasonable that the bulk of them would pursue us rather than the Sadaharu. To escape them we need only to reach land before they catch us. ", noted Kania. "All things considered, this is a good strategy to employ."

Sarin laughed, "Before you get your hopes up, don't forget who though up of this plan."

* * *

><p>Kirgi gave Halvor the thumbs up, who in turn motioned for the Crab sailors to advance. The dwarf on his dolphin had quickly scouted the area directly in front of the Sadaharu and indicated that there was no sign of the enemy before the boat.<p>

Halvor was surprised that the vessel was still unimpeded by the winds. He half expected that whatever air spirits were protecting the ship would be following Sarin, Nymk or Kania. He still didn't understand what was guarding the boat from the storm, but was glad it was there.

The big knight looked at the huddle refugees aboard. The frightened faces of his sister-in-law Elsif, his nephew Matts, along with the rest of the people of his village greeted him. Halvor wanted to be at Sarin's side and fight the good fight, but he knew that his people needed him here, at least for now. If Kirgi's plan went accordingly, they would get the villagers safely at the Crab Camp ahead. Then he and Kirgi could make their way to their companions. Despite the raging wind, he trusted the dwarf could track them down . After that, they would seek out this magical globe that was threatening to unleash some eldritch evil on the world.

It seemed incredible that a few months ago he was worried only about making a few bags of gold by escorting a caravan full of merchants, now he was literally involved in life and death encounters that could affect the fate of the world. Everything from before seemed so trivial now. His life as a minor noble, his small monetary success , and even the little fame he garnered from freeing the Shattered mountain pass. All those things were in the past now, and he noted how little they actually meant.

As the Sadaharu continued its path with Kirgi and Flippy guiding them, Halvor raised his axe as if to challenge the raging storm before them. He noted the battered beaten strip of cloth still tied to his axe, and decided that some things in the past still held meaning for him.

* * *

><p>Sharliss marched reluctantly in the snow. The priestess considered herself fit and somewhat athletic but even she began to tire. Even though her magic was drained by some sort of bracelet the knights placed on her, she still had her unnatural infernal endurance. The combination of the fierce winds, the freezing cold, the waist high snow, and of course the unrelenting march still wore her down. Even though she was being beaten down by the elements, she was still impressed by her captor's pace. The griffon knights, weighed down by armor and weapons no less, hiked with stoic determination on the glacier before them.<p>

"Move it girly! ", snarled her personal guard. A Sir Jurgen or something Sharliss recalled.

Sharliss stopped in protest, and placed her hands at her hips. "This is ridiculous. I don't have the proper footwear for this hike. Also I'm tired. We've marched for eight hours straight you know. ", complained the priestess.

"Move it! "repeated the surly guard.

Sharliss smiled and sat on the snow. "I'm afraid this march is too much for me. I guess you have to carry me if you wish me to continue. ", she teased.

* SMACK *

Sharliss reeled in pain as Sir Jurgen slapped her full force in the face. She touched her face and noted that it had already begin swelling from the blow.

"MOVE! ", shouted the guard again. Sharliss turned to face him, and raw anger flowed through her. The normally calm priestess seldom grew angry but her rage bubbled to the surface at that moment. Even though her magic was denied her she balled both her fists and crouched as if ready to strike. She snarled and her fangs were revealed for all to see. At that instant she looked more like a feral animal then her normal demure self.

"Oh , we want to play now do we? ", chuckled Jurgen in response as he readied his mace.

As the pair readied to rip each other apart, a swift shadow past between the two.

"OWWW", yelped Jurgen and Sharliss simultaneously as they both clutched their heads.

"Oh, that's quite enough out of you two I think. ", declared Stormfeather haughtily as he slipped between the pair . The Griffon Prince seemed to dance on top of the snow as he interposed his will on them.

"But sir...OWWW! ", began Sir Jurgen before clutching his skull. Sharliss noted now that Stormfeather had struck both of them with his sheathed two handed blade. Despite the pain he had inflicted on her head, she smiled as she noted the deeper humiliation that her tormentor Jurgen had felt.

"Look, we're almost at the destination and the last thing I need is you two bickering little school yard children. ", smiled the Prince. "If the priestess here is too tired, you will be a gentleman and carry her Jurgen. If you feel she is taking advantage of your noble conduct, you have my permission to bind her and lug her around like luggage. ", threatened the prince slyly.

"I will warn you both though, if either of you hurt my ears again with your bickering, I will chop your tongues off and feed them to Iceclaw. ", continued the still grinning Stormfeather. "Do I make myself clear?".

Sharliss and Jurgen both realized that the Prince was crazy enough to enforce his draconian commands and fell silent at his suggestion. Their still existed an unspoken animosity between the pair but at least there was a truce. Jurgen even extended a courtesy and allowed her to be piggy backed by him. Regardless of his obvious dislike for her , he swallowed his pride with the typical Griffon determination.

From her new vantage point the priestess gazed at the long column of knights marching through the glacier. They were dismounted except the Griffon Champion on his fierce hybrid mount and they marched with unwavering conviction of their cause. Sharliss shuddered and wondered if anything could stop these grim knights.

* * *

><p>Erland marveled at the speed of the ghostly elephant they rode. Even the blizzard around them did not seem able to deviate them from their course. The phantom construct seemed to run along the wind unhindered by any obstacles the storm threw at them. The Squirrel Lord knew that the Order of the Mammoth was one of the more powerful orders, but he never suspected they had such an artifact at his disposal.<p>

"This beast...it's faster than any horse or boar. It's amazing.", commented Hero as she appeared to be savoring the wind blasting against her face as they raced through the skies on the ghostly Mammoth.

Erland guessed they seldom used this device. He wondered how many victories the previous Mammoth Champion Magdar had won could be attributed to this artifact. It could bring a squad of elite warriors undetected behind enemy lines, and he guessed it was still strong enough to smash any opposition they might encounter. No enemies supply lines would be safe with such a phantom at the Mammoth's disposal. Although almost all commanders in the north lead from the front, the grand champion knew that in many armies, their generals would direct safely from the rear. Erland chuckled at the thought of his old friend Magdar ambushing a cowardly Alphatian War Consul, or even a Grommish General .

"What's so funny ? ", asked Surry as he noticed the Grand champion's grin. The Treekeeper had been unusually quiet as their small group headed to the Iceberg of Ogremoch. Erland guessed it was the close proximity of champion Frank. Although the Treekeeper and the Crab lord seemed to know each other well , they didn't seem to enjoy each others company.

"Oh nothing. Just thinking...about stuff. ", shrugged Erland. He thought for a second then continued, "Just thinking of practical applications of this ghost elephant . Besides its obvious purpose of quick travel I mean. "

Aethulwulf shook his head. " Trust me, it's not what you think. We of the mammoth have founded our order on this item, but we almost never use it. It exacts a steep toll...on its user. ", explained the old warrior. Erland noted that the veteran warrior smelled weaker than his usual vibrant self and knew his words were the truth.

"The figure was crafted by the old gods, like the items given to the elder races. The giants, the dragons, even the dark ones of the deep. They require a warrior of noble blood to utilize them, as well as drain a certain amount of life force. ", added an echoing elven voice.

Aethulwulf nodded at the statement, even though he could not spot the source of the voice.

"It really is quite amazing. Even my magic would not be able to navigate through this storm. This artifact however can sail through the sky even through these hurricane winds. It is a mighty item indeed. ", noted the Treekeeper.

"This item and possibly others, were why you were chosen to succeed Magdar when he fell . You possess an ancient lineage in your blood . Am I correct? I respect your victories and skill in battle, but I always thought there were more powerful warriors in your Order to succeed as Champion. ", noted Erland. Aethulwulf shifted uncomfortably at the mild accusation, but Erland didn't care. It helped his job as Grand Champion to know the powers of the forces at his disposal.

"Yes. I was chosen because of my ancestors. I ..I hope to prove worthy of the title. ", admitted Aethulwulf.

"Some Orders still choose their Champions based on their blood lines. Your own order included Grand Champion .", commented Hero.

"It is true I am a prince of my people, but noble blood is not a prerequisite for my order. ", nodded Erland.

"Hey ! Lay off Aethulwulf ! He led the forces of Mammoth Keep admirably during the war with the Great Horde. He was one of the guys I use to look up to when I was a punk adventurer. He earned his stripes battling bad guys a long time ago. Who cares if he doesn't measure up to some impossibly high snobby standard you have for your gay little club. He's the real deal, so don't bad mouth the dude. ", growled Frank .

Erland laughed as the Crab Champion defended his friend. " I did not mean to offend Sir Frank. If we felt the Mammoth Champion was unworthy of his position, someone would have challenged him a long time ago. A champion of the orders must be able to defend his own both on the field of war, and in the dueling pits if he is to be respected. Also , I might remind you that you belong to our ...gay little club now . You should be more respectful before you question us. ", laughed the Squirrel Lord.

Frank fumed but remained silent.

"Now , now Snappy. Don't confuse Frank there. His head might spin clear off, then we won't be able to use him in the upcoming battle. ", giggled Surry.

"Joking aside, our foe nears. We best be prepared for the worst. ", noted Hero as she ran a finger down the blade of her axe. "Win or Lose, I sense bloody battles ahead of us. ", smiled the Boar Champion.

* * *

><p>The battle would be upon them soon, and it would be bloody , thought Sarin.<p>

The skiff was painfully close to the icy shore. Sarin guessed they were only a hundred feet away, but at that time it seemed like leagues. A half dozen chitinous claws had latched onto the boat, and the half elf knew they only had seconds before they would rend the vessel asunder.

Nymk slashed at one of the pinchers with her scimitar . Despite her small size she managed to insert her blade into a joint, and with a skillful application of her deceptive strength, she managed to sever it. The wounded claw withdrew into the water, but was soon replaced by a larger pincher.

Sarin kicked at a claw , but was batted back in the boat for his efforts. A splash of water later, and a monstrous chitin clad monster rose from the water and flopped onto the skiff. The small vessel buckled under the weight, and the paladin knew they were doomed.

As quickly as their death approached, Sarin suddenly felt strong hands grasp his collar. The heavy half elf felt he was being thrown upwards , and he soon found himself leaping through the storm. He looked below and saw the skiff sink under the weight of the chuul. He quickly glanced around and saw Nymk at his side, and realized that Kania had grabbed them both and jumped to safety .

As swiftly as they rose, they suddenly descended to the oceans below. Sarin noted that Kania did not have the distance to make it to shore, and instead angled them to a large chunk of ice. The paladin noted in dread that the ice brought them further away from the safety of the shore, but he could not fault the Lamia since it was the closest mass that could support them.

The trio landed hard on the large chunk of ice, and Kania seemed winded from the effort.

"Thank you. ", blurted out Nymk in embarrassment.

"I would not let the chosen mate of the Blessed one be devoured by simple Chuul. I would never hear the end of it. ", gasped the disguised Lamia as she caught her breath.

Sarin chuckled at the pair. Despite their rivalry for his attention, they seemed to get along well. None of that would matter soon , as he saw the chuul began circling their ice drift.

"That's what we get for following a dwarf's plans. ", he laughed as he prepared for battle.

* * *

><p>Kirgi and Halvor were pleasantly surprised as they were greeted by several heavy cloaked men. There was no indication if they were friend or foe, but the big knight was simply glad that they weren't greeted by lobster men or giants. Even the hated knights of the Griffon would be a welcome sight to Halvor at that moment.<p>

The men at the dock swiftly secured the Sadaharu and the crab sailors greeted them in a friendly manner.

"Looks like we came to the right place. ", shouted Kirgi from his dolphin. Flippy chattered in approval as it swam a lap around the docked vessel.

"Wow...A dwarf on a dolphin. You don't see that too often. ", noted a tall lanky youth. Halvor was a bit surprised at encountering such a young man in this Ancient Giant city. He considered himself relatively young, but this boy seemed barely out of his teens. The big knight recalled his talks with Sarin recently and guessed that this battle required everyone that could help, regardless of age.

"We have civilians aboard. Refugees we picked up. I hope there is shelter nearby. ", stated Halvor in a commanding voice.

The youth nodded . " There's plenty of shelter here. This place is full of recently abandoned giant buildings. The problem is the elementals. Since you are here, I'm sure you are aware of them. ", explained the young man. "I'm sure we can find them a refuge."

"Thank you. My friend and I...", began Halvor but suddenly a terrible crash interrupted him.

From the docks, Halvor saw one of the giant buildings had collapsed. A dozen rough shaped earthen humanoids and several lumpy quadrupeds emerged from the rubble. The creatures rumbled something akin to a victory shout, and the big knight prepared himself for battle.

Suddenly a surge of knights lead by an armored dwarf engaged these new foes. The elementals seemed happy to battle their small adversaries and eagerly met them . They easily tossed around their smaller foes but Halvor noted it was a simple pinning maneuver. Something that the knight could only describe as a red shadow descended on the preoccupied elementals and was tearing the rear ranks. When the earthen giants finally realized their peril they shortened their ranks into a more defensive posture. This proved their undoing when suddenly a white aura engulfed the gathered elementals. Halvor turned away briefly from the bright light. He was surprised when he turned back and noticed the elementals had been reduced to dust. A victory shout from the Crab knights and the dwarf echoed through the winds of the ancient city as a stone barrier suddenly began rebuilding itself ontop of the destroyed building.

Halvor blinked in amazement as he questioned what he just witnessed. He at first thought the blizzard was playing tricks on him, but he noted that the area around him was still free from the winds.

"Sorry about that interruption. ", commented the youth as he appeared from behind a building. He was accompanied by a slight unremarkable woman with red hair who seemed preoccupied by brushing snow and dust off of him. Halvor guessed the pair had wisely taken cover during the attack.

"No worries. The city is still under siege I take it. My companions had guessed that the elementals had captured some sort of orb of power and were using it to create an ice bridge of sort. ", replied Halvor.

The young man looked at his companion, and they both returned surprised gazes to Halvor. The big knight was taken back briefly as he noted the woman had yellow eyes. "Your guess is correct. It shouldn't surprise me though. As leader of the vanguard of the reinforcements you must be kept in the loop of our affairs. We were able to secure the trapped vault holding the orb and had denied our foes its use for the longest time. Despite our best efforts they broke through our lines and recovered the item. We would have pursued them but the bulk of the elemental army still has us pinned. Besides the orb, we had recovered other artifacts of great power. The elementals somehow know this and seek them as well. We couldn't protect these items and chase the orb at the same time, so we decided to hold them back as we wait for the rest of the Great Host to arrive. We were apprehensive when this blizzard struck, but seeing you here now, I know we have the strength now to drive these stone invaders back. ", explained the young man .

Halvor shook his head, "I'm sorry, we aren't the vanguard of any force. We're just travelers that decided to help. ", apologized the big knight. "In fact, the more I see and learn of the situation, the more I think this is over our heads. "

The young lanky warrior sighed. "It's over all our heads, but someone has to fight. We will keep defending the artifacts we have recovered, though I wish we were able to employ them. I wish we could send a force to recover the orb as well but we are stretched beyond our limit, and the tide of elementals are seemingly relentless. A small group of us tried to pursue them a few weeks ago, but we were defeated on the glacier. It was a miracle we were able to fall back in one piece. "

The woman at the young warrior's side slumped her shoulders and held him lightly. Halvor noted she seemed to smile at him , despite the gloom he had reported. "They are protected from the winds. They can chase down the orb. ", she said with a strange confidence.

Halvor stared at her intently after her approval of him. Her hair was done in a long red braid. She had golden skin like the southern people and clear amber eyes. As he judged her appearance he thought she did not look like anyone he had ever encountered, yet there was something hauntingly familiar about her mannerisms.

"My partner and I were intending to do just that. We just wanted the villagers to be safe before we hook up with our friends who have already begun seeking the orb. We might be in over our heads, but we have people depending on us. We won't let them down. ", stated Halvor with a hard edge in his voice. The big knight wondered if he actually believed what he said, but it didn't matter. He intended to see this through .

The young warrior gave a dubious look to his partner then back to the knight . He then smiled. "I suppose you and your dolphin riding companion must be formidable if you made it this far. From the worn appearance of your weapons and armor I guess you've been through a few scrapes. I wish you speed on your quest, but I can only offer you some supplies and a few blessings from my god .", stated the warrior before producing the hammer holy symbol of Rawk. Halvor guessed he was a cleric of some sort as he intoned blessings on him , and presumably Kirgi.

Halvor bowed in thanks, before waving to his short companion. Kirgi and Flippy swam to the docks, as the big knight climbed down to meet them. "Fare thee well. I wish I had more time to get acquainted with the pair of you, but our friends need us. ", he yelled as the trio swam off.

The young warrior and his red headed companion watched as they swam through the harbor. The woman guessed correctly as whatever had protected the Crab vessel from the storms seemed to have accompanied them as well. As the winds returned and hammered the docks again, the young man and his companion retreated with the refugees.

"Do you think they will succeed?", asked the man.

"I don't know, but I do know our daughter chose wisely. ", replied the young woman with a smile.

* * *

><p>Despite being carried by the seemingly unstoppable Sir Jurgen, Sharliss was fast becoming exhausted from the long trek across the glacier. She marveled at the tireless knights and wondered if magic or fear of their Champion kept them going. She guessed that they were use to this sort of climate, but due to the mounted nature of their order she never suspected they would be so practiced at marching.<p>

Her eyesight was well above a normal human's , but the priestess noted that her captors detoured around an obvious path. She noted that something had spooked the normally unflappable Griffon knights. Her eyes attempted to focus on whatever had scared them, but all she could see was a simple chasm. She saw a crude bridge of some sort and some knights questioning the reason they weren't utilizing it. Sharliss could not hear them, but saw one of the seers that accompanied them shake his head vigorously. The seer's protest did not seem to have much effect on the knights, but Champion Felwind took note of his reservations. The Champion's word was law amongst the knights and they grudgingly detoured from their obvious path.

The group's forced march continued unabated, and Sharliss noted one of the knights fall to the side from exhaustion. The rest of his comrades ignored the fallen warrior and kept trudging forward. Despite the man being Sharliss's enemy the priestess could not ignore his plight. She hopped off Jurgen to tend to his wounds. Even though her magic was still denied to her, she still attempted to revive him by more mundane means. He was a younger warrior, and she saw that he had succumbed to the elements and exhaustion. She immediately began clearing his throat, rolling him to his side, and even laying a blanket on him. Jurgen took offense to her actions and gave her one threatening glare to return on his back. Sharliss considered defying him, but knew it was useless. She reluctantly returned to his back, but felt a small piece of victory when the knight she aided began to stir.

As the column continued its advance through the blizzard she observed some activity near the front. From her viewpoint she saw that Stormfeather and one of his scouts were discussing something with the Champion of the Griffon. The Griffon Master gave some hand gestures, and she saw the fronk ranks dispersed and spread out around an icy hill.

Sharliss immediately recognized it as an attack formation of some sort. Most likely an ambush of some sort. She considered yelling a warning, but doubt her weakened voice could carry through the howling winds around them. The priestess wondered who would suffer the wrath of the griffon knights and more importantly who could stand up to them.

* * *

><p>The storms lashed violently at the skyship, but the Captain kept the vessel steady.<p>

Darwen, Isula, Rollo ,Ogela, and even Bucky looked determined as they sat in the Imperial's landing craft. It was shaped like a small longship, with the added protection of a covered galley installed on it. A few crewman were packing the final supplies for the landing and all seem to be ready. All was ready except of course for their leader.

"Look Captain...Maggy or whatever your name is. Are you SURE? I mean EXTRA sure, that Sharliss is below us. I mean, I can't see a damn thing through this storm. I can't even see the ground !", gibbered Zax in a failed attempt to seem authorative.

Captain Magnus scowled but mostly retained his calm demeanor. "Our scouts spotted humanoids below us. Judging by the inhospitable terrain we are above, I guess this Sharliss is most likely with them. ", he explained.

"But you aren't ... umm 100% sure are you? Don't you think we should be a bit more prudent, before we investigate? ", argued Zax as several strong crewman began pushing him inside the galley portion of the vessel.

The captain gave the tiefling a final shove and slammed the Galley's door before releasing the chains securing the vessel.

The small vessel wavered briefly, before plummeting into the blizzard below.

"Good riddance. ", remarked Magnus.

"Shall we do another pass through this area? ", asked a nondescript officer.

The Captain signaled his agreement and the crew got to work. The Imperial rose higher and assumed a safer altitude over the iceberg. Magnus looked down at the maelstrom below and wondered if anyone could succeed on this foolhardy mission.

* * *

><p>The Grand Champion and his band had left Aethulwulf to recover at the edge of the glacier. The Mammoth champion was greatly drained from his activation of his Order's relic and could not ask more from him. Erland, Surry , Hero and Frank ascended the massive glacier at a brisk pace, hoping to catch the elementals and recover the orb that had been causing the storms around them.<p>

"What's the hold up !", demanded Erland over the roaring wind. The famous Grand Champion and his companions had been slowly scaling a mountain to hopefully catch their foes by surprise. Erland had sent his the mighty Hero and his half elven cohort to scout the path ahead, but was disappointed to find that their progress had been stymied.

"Its bad ...real bad...", Surry shouted back. To accent her point, she pointed to a narrow chasm, with a frozen log connecting it. On the other side Erland could see the large barbaric silhouette of Champion Hero waving enthusiastically at him.

"Eh...I don't get it? There's a chasm, but there's a log over it. I see Hero on the other side...what's the problem?", asked the puzzled the Grand Champion.

"It's not that easy. The log..its icy. Its um really slippery. Hero can cross it ...well because she's Hero. The rest of us wont be so lucky.", explained the Treekeeper.

Erland scratched his head, " Throw a rope across ?"

Surry shook his head," Already tried that, there's nothing to attach to on the other side."

"Drive spikes in the log?"

"Log is too hard...even dwarven steel can't pierce it."

"Fly over the log with a spell or a summoned creature?"

"Winds are too fierce."

"Teleport?"

"Innate magical disruption here is too strong."

"Crawl on our bellies on the log?"

"Too slippery, we'll just slide off."

"Use magic to shape the ice ..or better yet use warp wood on the log. To create foot and hand holds?"

"Sorry...Magic log."

Erland stared at the half elf in frustration, he hoped she was joking but her grim visage told him that this obstacle was very serious indeed. They were amongst the most powerful adventurers in the world, but they were stopped dead in their tracks...by a log.

"HEY What's the hold up!", demanded Frank as he caught up to the rest of the party.

Surry simply shrugged and pointed to the icy log, and Frank's face immediately blanched.

"This is an outrage. I am Erland the Grand Champion of all the Northern Orders . I am the most honored warrior of the north. I've defeated the Great Horde. I've battled the Legendary Squirrel , smashed giant armies , routed demon hosts and I have even driven the Archdevil Geryon into the black pits. An ice covered log will not stop me! . Stand back besotted fools ! Let me show you how a real Champion handles this.", said the bold Grand Champion as he pushed his companions aside.

"Uhh...I know this log Erland. I wouldn't do that. ", warned Frank cautiously.

Erland took a couple of tentative steps , but seemed to maintain his balance on the icy bridge. He turned to the group and gave them a thumbs up...before a gust of wind blew the General into the chasm.

"L - A - M - E !", shouted the Grand Champion as he fell to his doom.

"Snappy! ", shouted Surry in response as she watched in horror.

Frank saw the falling Squirrel Lord disappear from view. "I told him not to do that. Hey dibs on his squirrel hat if we find it. " , he called as he peered into the abyss.

Hero shook her head. "How will we recover the orb now?"

* * *

><p>Princess Isula the twelfth fell to the ground, unable to maintain the orb's vast powers. The drained giant shuddered and quivered on the ground as the artifact drained away her life.<p>

"Leave her alone. ", gasped Frostreaver the Thirteenth.

Taskmaster Uzrith ignored his pleas and retrieved the dark globe. The elemental lord gazed at the item, and wondered how something so small and light could command such vast powers. Soon the bridge would be formed and his army of elementals could begin ferrying boulders to his lord's iceberg.

His army had the city of the giants under siege currently. The humans there were much more powerful than he had anticipated. The archomental knew that such beings were dangerous, and he hoped his army would pin them while he brought his plans to fruition. His unending tide of minions should be able to pin them , till he gathered enough strength to free his Lord Ogremoch. A few more activations of the orb was all he needed.

Taskmaster Uzrith gazed at his two giant prisoners and shook his stony head. For flesh creatures, they were remarkably strong and durable, but in the end their weakness was evident. They would need rest before using the orb again. The stones told him that they were the only ones that could trigger the item, and the Archomental decided to proceed with prudence.

Suddenly Uzrith stopped. Although he was more comfortable on solid ground, not the mountain of ice they were standing on, he could feel tremors on the ground around him. Most of the vibrations were unnoticeable but some were more direct and abrupt. As he scrutinized the light tremors he guessed there were 30 or so attackers sneaking up on them. The towering elemental rumbled a warning to his stony guards as he realized the danger he was in . He roared a challenge and turned to face this new foe.

A large draconic griffon with an elderly human man sitting on top of it greeted him.

"I am the Great Hunting Bird Felwind, Champion of the Griffon. You will turn the so called Orb of Storms and your giant prisoners to me. Else face my merciless wrath.", challenged the old man.

The towereing Uzrith blinked his normally unblinking eyes at the ridiculous request. He was second to power only to Ogremoch and had laid waste to countries, continents and even dimensions in the past. The Archomental emitted a noise that sounded like grinding boulders and mimicked a human laugh to taunt his foes.

A thin human shook his head as he hopped onto a boulder of ice. "Trust me big guy, you definitely don't want to earn Pop's merciless wrath. ", he said with a smile.


	65. Chapter 65

Sarin was slammed to the side by the massive claw.

Despite his bulk, the half elf staggered in reverse from the strong blow. His opponent did not let up, and jabbed again at the paladin with its hardened chitnous pincher. Sarin managed to bring his spear in a cross block position and parried the blow at the last moment. The force of the attack and its previous one that struck him caused the half elf to painfully drop his weapon and he found himself disarmed before his opponent.

The Chuul clicked greedily as it advanced to its seemingly helpless prey. The half elf took another step back, and it seemed like he was about to flee. The Chuul lunged forward to catch its fleeing meal, but suddenly Sarin reversed his momentum and rammed the lobster creature head on with his shoulder. The much bigger chuul was rocked by the blow but did not seem fazed by it. It began to snap its claws into a form of bear hug, but suddenly it stopped and quivered in place.

The paladin's mighty hands had snagged and gripped the Chuul's sensitive antenna when he charged the creature, and was now exerting painful , paralyzing pressure to them. "Know your place lobster critter. I'm a half elf. You don't eat us, we eat you! ", snarled Sarin as he yanked the tendrils backwards . Even though Chuuls were as alien as abominations could get, the creature sensed the deep hunger from the half elf's eyes and saw the saliva dripping from its mouth. The primal fear of being eaten by the hungry paladin brought panic to the monster.

Before Sarin could exact his threat, the creature fell to what passed for its knees. Sarin released his grip and saw that Nymk had seized the opportunity he provided. She had struck the preoccupied lobster man in the back. Her scimitar slipped through the joints and avoided the monster's thick armored plates. Pink bubbles frothed from the creature's mouth before it collapsed to the ice.

Sarin nodded at Nymk, but their attention was quickly drawn to Kania. The lamia had resumed her massive beast like centaur form and was desperately engaging several of the lobster men simultaneously. Sarin guessed that she took Nymk's opponent while the swords woman came to his aid. The Lamia appeared to be a skilled fighter but she was losing the battle of attrition to the numerically superior Chuul. One had seized her by her rear haunch, while another seemed to repeatedly strike her with its club like claw.

Sarin scrambled for his spear as Nymk raced to Kania's side. The paladin could not see his fallen weapon as the fierce winds and snow had obscured it during the struggle. He glanced helplessly and saw the Lamia beaten senseless by the Chuul's heavy blows. A rough claw snapped around Kania's shoulders and her battered face was brought dangerously towards the Chuul's small paralytic mouth tendrils.

A shrill war cry gave pause to the lobster monster as it turned to face the charging swordswoman. Another Chuul interposed itself between the one grappling Kania and Nymk, but the swift woman easily vaulted on top of it, then used its hard head as a spring board to pounce on the Lamia's captor. The swordswoman severed one of the ensnaring claws with a clean strike with her blade and spun backwards before the wounded creature could counter attack. Kania took the scant seconds provided to her to rake and bite the creature that dared to attack her. Sarin noted she looked more like a wild hunting cat then the noble priestess he had come to known for the past few months.

Sarin had finally recovered his spear and his two companions swiftly formed around his flanks. The Chuul had not expected their prey to fight so fiercely and were hesitant to advance. For a second the paladin thought they would flee and seek easier prey, but a dark shadow grew from and advanced from their ranks.

Sarin looked up , and saw a monstrous lobster creature push its way through its fellows. The paladin guessed it was bigger than a giant, and heavier than a mammoth. Each step shook the ground as it marched towards them.

Sarin glanced at the ground and hoped that the sheer weight of the creature would collapse the ice flow below them. The frigid waters would likely result in their end, but there would at least be a small chance of survival. A straight battle against the behemoth before them however, spelled certain doom.

* * *

><p>"Looks like he's doomed. "Commented Frank plainly as he scanned for signs of the Grand Champion. "I told him not to cross the log...but nooooo...he won't listen to Frank. ", added the Crab Lord.<p>

"We have to get Snappy out of there! "pleaded Surry hysterically. Frank was taken back as he heard definite concern in her voice.

Frank raised an eyebrow and thought the snarky Treekeeper was acting a bit strange. Normally she would be the first to laugh at the suffering of the others. Slipping off a log to your doom was kind of funny in a dark way. The people of the north had a term for such black comedy, they called it schadenfreude, and Frank always thought Surry enjoyed that kind of thing.

Hero peered down the chasm and shook her head. "I doubt anyone could survive such a fall unless they were a master monk. Even the Grand Champion would be hard pressed to live through that. ", she said grimly.

"No! I won't accept that. I can't let him...wait how much rope do you guys have? We can throw him down a rope and he can climb out. ", formulated the Treekeeper in a panic.

Frank shook his head. "No can do. Winds too strong and the pits too deep. Trust me on this. ", explained the warrior.

"Frank speaks truly. This crack is not bottomless, but it is still too deep for the ropes we carry. We need to head to the edge of the crack and slowly make our way down. . ", said an unseen echoing elven voice. "Or...we can make our way back to Aethulwulf, hope he has recovered his strength and employ his Ghost Mammoth. ", added the voice after some more thought.

Hero considered the voice's suggestion but shook her head. "We do not have the time for this. The world is literally falling apart; we need to recover this orb Frank has been spouting about. I hate to say it, but we must abandon Erland for now . We have to finish our quest before we collect his corpse. If anyone understands our order of priority, it would be Erland. "

Frank sighed and nodded at Hero. " I hate leaving a wounded man behind, but she's right. If Erland survived that, he could umm...use his super squirrel powers and scamper up or something. ", he noted. "He can do that right? "

Surry shook in anger. " Arl is a tough son of a bitch, and if anyone can survive that fall it would be him. I guess he broke some bones or something. I won't let him suffer down there. Even if he's dead I won't leave his body there. ", she stated with clutched fists.

Hero saw her determination and was taken aback by her resolve. She bowed to the Treekeeper. "I am honored by your dedication. I will assist you in rescuing the Grand Champion if you provide a proper plan that can be enacted swiftly. The chasm is deep, the winds are strong, and I suspect this glacier negates travel magic. "

Surry considered her words and looked at the icy pit. It looked like some creatures dark maw, complete with jagged icy teeth. "Wait...I know. I can climb down this thing. Get to the bottom, heal Snappy, then he can climb us both out. ",she guessed.

"Hmm...Doesn't sound like much of a plan. That's a pretty tough climb, and what if Erland is dead? How are you going to get out? ", asked Frank doubtfully.

"Don't doubt my skills. I use to be a ranger for...well for way too damn long. I can do this. ", she declared angrily.

Frank and Hero reluctantly agreed and dug through their packs. They assembled a rough climbing kit for the Treekeeper for her descent. Ropes, spikes, a pick , even some cloth bandages in case healing magic did not work as well. Surry swiftly took them and began her descent.

Surry swiftly descended down the icy chasm. Despite her aristocratic traveling robe, she was true to her word and swiftly made her way down the pit. Frank noted she jumped, climbed and descended with the talent of an acrobat. Even with strong winds battering her, Surry managed to maintain her grip and balance on the ice.

"She's really quite good. ", said Hero approvingly. "I've seen better climbers, but I've never seen a mage with such skill. "

"She really is something. ", agreed Frank.

As the Crab warrior made his complement, an irresistibly strong wind suddenly swept the small canyon. Frank and Hero barely managed to remain standing as the blizzards wrath pummeled them. Then, as quick as it began, the winds abated to its normal fury.

Frank peered down the pit to see to the Treekeeper's safety but to his horror he couldn't see a thing.

"I fear our mission might be considered a failure . There are only two of us left. The fate of the world might have been decided by this damn log. ", said Hero grimly.

Frank stood in silence and looked down the pit . He slowly turned his gaze to the young Boar Champion. "Hey...so if Armageddon is upon us, I think we should take advantage of what fate has dealt us. You know. A handsome guy and a pretty girl on a glacier. We should make the best of it. I can think of worst ways to spend the end of the world...OOFFFF", yelped the crab warrior as he doubled over from a powerful punch to the gut.

"I'm going to see if Aethulwulf has recovered his strength. ...are you coming? ", shouted Hero as she angrily stalked away.

"You never learn , do you? ", laughed the echoing elven voice.

"I actually never stop.", said Frank as he recovered from the blow. "I thought my last line and my reputation would have left her in awe actually, or at least shocked enough to not punch me. ", he commented with a grin.

* * *

><p>Sharliss watched in shocked awe as the Order of the Griffon descended on the elementals. Sir Jurgen still guarded her and she noted the big knight appeared passive about the whole battle. She counted a dozen of the earthen giants being attacked by about twenty of the knights. At first the battle seemed stalemated as the stony creatures proved to be resistant to the warrior's weapons. A particularly large and powerful elemental grasped a knight and lifted him like a toy above its head. It crushed the warrior in his grasp then calmly tossed the broken body to the ground. The knights seem undeterred by their casualties and continue to press their attack.<p>

Sharliss was amazed at her captor's bravery, but then saw it wasn't simply foolish courage. She saw that the knights had pinned their opponents setting them up for a swift strike by the Griffon's reserve. A small band of warriors lead by Stormfeather and her sister Lionsong descended upon the earthen giants and methodically pulverized their foe one by one. Sharliss knew that elementals were not like regular foes, the earthen giants possessed nothing resembling organs, so were immune to lethal strikes. They had to be destroyed literally piece by piece. The griffon's tactics allowed the core group of knights to concentrate their attacks to methodically grind their foes into dust.

Even the large elemental seemed taken aback by the fury of these warriors. The creature summoned waves of boulders to crush his foes and used its prestigious strength and size to stomp any knights that came too close. Even the brute called Iceclaw was no match for the towering elemental. It batted him easily aside and continued its rampage through the Griffon warriors. Despite the small pile of dead warriors it began accumulating around it , Sharliss saw the knights continue to pin the beast while Stormfeather and his group eliminated its subordinates.

When the elemental finally found itself alone and besieged it began manipulating the bodies of its comrades. It formed a jagged wall of sharp rocks to block the knights and prevent them from attacking him. Sharliss guessed it was either summoning more elementals or more likely recovering its strength from the attacks.

As the priestess watched the battle in awe, Champion Felwind finally entered the fray. Despite the fierce winds and pounding sleet around them, the Griffon lord and his mount leaped into the air and cleared the barrier in a single bound. Loud squawks and roars swiftly followed. The priestess could not see the battle but guessed it was terrible indeed.

Suddenly a portion of the barrier that the large elemental erected shuddered and cracked. A deafening roar followed and the wall shuddered before bursting into rubble. The large elemental crashed through the shattered barrier then fell to the ground. Sharliss saw that both its arms were gone, but noted that it was slowly reforming them. Before the creature could fully regenerate, the surviving knights descended upon the stunned monster and hacked and battered it to oblivion.

Jurgen smiled at his order's victory. The result of the battle had not surprised the brutish warrior. "That's what you get for crossing the Griffon. Abandon all your hope now priestess. No one can stand against us. All fear our power. ", he stated confidently.

* * *

><p>By the nature of his training, Sarin was immune to fear. Even though he was mentally trained to ignore its affects, that did not mean the half elf couldn't understand hopelessness and despair. The paladin took a step back and felt his morale break as the colossal lobster creature advance towards him and his two remaining companions.<p>

The bloodied Kania gripped his arm in support; she was still injured by the beating she had suffered recently, while Nymk eyed their opponent warily. From her wounds he guessed she was conserving her healing , most likely for himself. He shook his head at his over zealous protector. Although Sarin was far from an expert healer, he managed to radiate a light aura of healing around him. The lamia smiled in appreciation as some of her strength recovered.

"Can you change into a dolphin again? Could we make it to shore? ", asked Sarin as the monster advanced.

"I can, but I cannot guarantee our escape. Chuul are not the fastest in the water, but they are deadly in a short sprint. They also have a decisive numerical advantage. ", replied Kania coolly.

"If we kill the big guy would they break?", asked Sarin again. He guessed they only had a few seconds left before their decision would be made for them.

"Possibly.", shrugged the Lamia.

The approaching horde of lobstermen suddenly stopped as a banshee like wail flooded the ice floe.

Suddenly Nymk pointed to the sky. "Wait! What's that? ", asked the swords woman in confusion.

"It sounds akin to a woman in terrible anguish.", replied the Lamia matter of factly,

Despite the dark clouds of the storm, a large shadow descended on the battlefield. The wail grew ominously louder as it approached. Paladin, swords woman, Lamia and Chuul all paused as they wondered what dark fate was befalling them.

* * *

><p>Surry slowly recovered from the fall. Even though she had evoked a feather fall spell at the last moment she was still tossed and battered against the canyon cliffs as she fell. If that wasn't bad enough as she neared the bottom of the crevice her magic seemed to be canceled completely, causing her to tumble the last distance. She assumed she would have fallen to her death, but luckily she landed in one of the many piles of snow that had accumulated at the bottom.<p>

"You're alive. ", said a deep voice. Surry's pain vanished as she felt strong hands run through her dark hair. The priestess was proud of her hair. She had not inherited any of her mother's beauty, except of course her treasured mane. On many lonely nights , brushing it was the only thing that made her feel like a woman. Feeling the Grand Champions touch it , gave the Treekeeper a warm feeling of hope.

"I see you made it as well. ", smiled Surry as her eyes struggled to focus on the Grand Champion. Her grin quickly vanished as she noted numerous open wounds on his body.

The Squirrel Champion dismissed her concern and pointed at a pile of dead white furred creatures in a corner.

"Taer. Lots of them. I killed a few and the rest ran. I'm not sure how they got down here, but I assume we can get out the same way they got in. ", shrugged the Grand Champion. The Treekeeper had never met a taer before , but was told stories about them by her father. They were some sort of savage white furred ape that stalked the tundra and craved humanoid flesh.

"Can you climb us out? ", asked Surry as she examined her environment more closely. Although she could see the crevice loom above them, they were currently in some sort of open air chamber at the bottom of the canyon. The walls were jagged and seemed constantly pounded by the winds. Surry wondered why the glacier hadn't filled up with ice and debris yet. Was it constantly widening? Were the taer somehow clearing it? Maybe it was magic?

Erland considered her challenge then shook his head. "It's too far up, and the winds are constantly changing. I'm not even including the fact that the walls are treacherous. I've noticed every few minutes a large chunk of ice breaks off and smashes into the ground. I think our best bet is to follow the taer, unless of course you can magic us out."

Surry frowned. "Some sort of anti-magic aura is here. It doesn't surprise me though; I assume that is what's keeping Ogremoch imprisoned here. Unfortunately it seems to keep us trapped as well. I don't think we should wait for Frank and Hero to rescue us. My attempt was the best we could come up with."

Erland scanned the walls of the cliff again. Surry guessed he was judging his ability to climb the walls. The champion then looked at his hands and sighed. "Are you strong enough to walk ? I'm guessing we don't have too much more time. "

Surry nodded and weakly stood up. She braced herself against the wounded Champion and the pair began exploring for an exit.

"Thanks for the rescue attempt Surry. ", muttered Erland as they slowly marched through the ice.

Surry tried to chuckle, but could only manage a weak laugh. "Not every rescue attempt can be successful you know."

* * *

><p>Sharliss saw the two rescued giants. They had been beaten harshly by the elementals and the priestess noted broken bones upon the pair. They barely clung to life and Sharliss saw their wounds ran much deeper than the visible physical ones. She noted that their life auras were drained, similar to victims of vampires or other powerful undead.<p>

"I can help your wounded, also the prisoners. ", offered Sharliss to Jurgen.

The brutal knight grunted. "Do I look like an idiot? You'll use your magic to try to escape. ", he stated in disgust.

Sharliss shook her head. "If you do not trust my magic, I understand .I am still trained in more mundane methods of healing. I can set and splint bones, stich open wounds, and I am skilled with salves. ", the priestess offered again.

Jurgen judged the priestess again. "Nothing funny. Or that last slap I gave you will feel like a feather. ", he threatened.

Sharliss ignored his warning and promptly assisted the wounded and dying. Most of the fallen knights suffered fatal wounds from the elementals and there was little she could do for them. She noted that some of the knights were clerics but they did not seem to be too concerned for the heavily wounded. They concentrated on their magic to keeping the stronger warriors at full strength rather than ease the suffering of their defeated comrades, even the battered Prince Iceclaw received no healing from them. Sharliss could understand the reasoning behind this, it kept the stronger warriors ready for battle, but she could not abide by such a harsh rule. She aided the wounded knights , including Iceclaw, the best she could before turning her attention to the drained giants.

She half expected the knights to recover the orb they were seeking then promptly executing the pair. She was surprised to see that the Griffon clerics had prioritized the giants higher than their own warriors. She saw they were far from fully healed, but the Griffon magic had restored them enough so they could be chained and marched. She wondered who they were and what importance they played for the machinations of the Griffon.

"We must endure brother. ", gasped the female giant to the male.

"We will Isula. ", replied the male prisoner. Without warning a knight swiftly pummeled the pair with his mace to silence them.

Sharliss viewed the Griffon's treatment of the prisoners with horror, but more importantly she looked at the giant called Isula. Even though she had been beaten and drained the priestess gazed in morbid curiosity at her face.

"We're pretty hot stuff aren't we? ", laughed Stormfeather as he slid before the priestess. Sharliss noticed that the griffon prince while talking to her was also attempting to catch his sister's eye. She knew immediately the bizarre motivation of his boast. "We got the orb, got our giants, now we all have to do is wait for this storm to abate. After that, it's back to Griffon Eryie and do the "Take the world hostage thing !". Hah! Who would have thought Pops whacky plan would work. ", stated the prince proudly.

"You have the orb , can't you calm these winds? ", probed Sharliss curiously, making sure that Lionsong could both see and hear her. The priestess guessed that the Princess of the Griffon cared not for her brother, but she suspected that her action would only egg on and loosen Stormfeather's tongue.

Stormfeather shrugged, "I can't use the orb, only those royal blooded giants can. From what the seers have told me, the orb summon storms, it doesn't actually control the weather. Once a blizzard has been conjured it continues till it runs its course. ", he explained. "Hey...you're a lot friendlier then before. Are you getting slightly anxious at this whole marriage thing? Consort to the Prince of Everything doesn't sound too bad eh? ", he teased with a wink.

The priestess ignored the prince and marched back to Jurgen. She was satisfied with the information she had gleaned. She now knew a little more about the operation of the orb, and also discovered that the captured giants were vital to the Griffon's plans. She wasn't sure how, but she was determined to squash the Griffon's plans of conquest.

* * *

><p>*SQUASH*<p>

Sarin looked in shock. The monstrous Polar Chuul had stood before him one second, then the next it was underneath what appeared to be a tangle of wood.

The smaller lobster men were even more shocked then the paladin. Their courage quickly vanished as the Alpha Chuul was turned to so much cracked sea food. They swiftly dispersed from this new threat and promptly jumped into the waves around them.

"What is that thing? ", asked Kania tentatively.

Before Sarin could hazard a guess, a wooden door flew open on top of the oddly mangled mass of timbers. The sound of wailing grew louder in coincidence with the opening door.

"Stop with the screaming already. It's hurting my ears. I told you I could land this thing. ", complained a loud elven voice. Sarin noted that thankfully the high pitched wail stopped at her command.

"I wasn't screaming...I was ...umm ...doing breathing exercises. Tieflings have shallow lungs you know and ...errr we need to strengthen our inhaling and exhaling techniques during rapid changes in altitude. Yeah...that's it. ", complained a familiar annoying voice.

Before Sarin could call out to the occupants of the smashed vessel, a grey haired elf sprang through the door. Her weapon was at the ready, but she promptly lowered it as she gazed upon the half elf and his companions.

"Sarin, Nymk?", she asked in surprise.

"Darwen! ", shouted Nymk in delight . The small swords woman bounded up the pile of crushed lobster and wood and swiftly hugged the elf.

"Does this happen a lot to you , blessed of Arcturus? ", asked Kania as she looked dumbfounded at the turn of events.

* * *

><p>"This always happens to us! ", complained the dwarf bitterly.<p>

Halvor and Kirgi had set out after the villager's safety was secured. The pair were making good time, but Halvor noted there were no sign of the Sadaharu's skiff along the shore. Even though the winds still didn't hinder them, the area beyond their immediate sight was still obscured.

"Why are you bitching now? ", Halvor inquired, knowing full well what was vexing the dwarf.

"I mean, we're once again pushed to a secondary role. It's like we're some comic relief in a tale involving grand heroes or something. ", explained the fuming dwarf.

"Oh come now. We're attempting to save the world, we are literally at the edge of the world, and you're complaining because we aren't knee deep in bad guys?", laughed Halvor.

"Umm...yeah. We got ditched by Sarin after all we've done and accomplished. No offense Hal, but we got the raw deal here. We get stuck with helping the villagers, while Fatty goes and hangs out with the hot chicks. ", explained the dwarf.

Halvor shook his head. "Look Kirgi, you were the best suited to guide the boat into a strange harbor, and I was the best suited to keep the villagers in order. I doubt Sarin wished to ditch us so he can make time with Kania and Nymk. He was tasked with getting the chuul off our backs, and ...and I fear the worse for them. ", stammered the big knight.

"You think the reason we can't find them, is that the chuul got them right? ", puzzled the dwarf.

"Possibly. ", Halvor replied grimly. "Whatever the reason for their delay, if we can't find them soon, we should press towards the glacier."

Kirgi blinked at his friend . "Just you and me against the world? I'm not afraid of dying but are you sure we're up for this? Maybe we should get some crab sailors or perhaps that young cleric to help?", cautioned the dwarf.

Halvor laughed at the suggestion. "Didn't you just say you wanted a bigger role in this grand tale? We might be the only ones left that could do this. Win or lose, it's our chance to shine. ".

Kirgi considered his words then grunted in agreement. "Hells. Why not? We can do this. We're as bad ass as they come. We're just as qualified to save the world as anyone else. ", boasted the dwarf.

Halvor nodded as the pair continued their search. After a few minutes they reluctantly headed towards the iceberg. The big knight was glad that his companion's incessant chatter had ended but he did note a hint of sadness in his gait.

"Something else bothering you Kirgi?", asked Halvor .

Kirgi shook his head at first then sighed. "I miss my dolphin. ", he admitted.


	66. Chapter 66

Surry watched Erland sleep in the corner of the ice cave. They had marched what seemed like miles, but despite his bravado , the massive amount of wounds he had received had finally taken their toll. The Treekeeper had dressed and bandaged his injuries the best she could, but her healing skills were lacking without the full extent of her magic. As they ventured into the Taer tunnels she had felt some of her magical powers returned, but they were still far from sufficient to either heal or escape.

Surry stood on watch with her bow. Though Erland had killed quite a few of the shaggy beasts, she guessed there still might be a few left. They prepared a small camp, complete with a small fire before Erland collapsed from exhaustion. She looked at the Squirrel champion and felt the stirrings of nostalgia. She recalled a distant time where Arl and herself faced off against a horde of Ogres. It was a tragic battle that saw them separated for over thirty years. Of course back then she was a simple ranger with a few magic tricks, while Erland claimed to be a simple wandering warrior. Now, she was the returning princess of the Ice elves and their sacred Treekeeper, while he was the head Squirrel Lord and Grand Champion of all the north. She longingly yearned for the simpler times when they would simply share each others affection. That of course hadn't happened for decades, but to Surry it seemed like just a few weeks .

Surry stopped and gave a light laugh. She sighed as she noted that she had mostly forgotten her time she had spent with the barbaric knight till a few weeks ago. She recalled her time with Arl , because it did happen a few weeks ago. At least in her dream it did. Surry's inexplicable ability to vividly relieve her past memories was a side effect of her ascension as Treekeeper. She found no real use in it, but it did provide some mild amusement to break up the lonely nights.

"Wow , you two sure found yourself in a fix haven't you? Defeated by a log, and now surrounded by taer. Tsk Tsk...I expected so much more from you. ", said a snarky female voice from the darkness.

Surry immediately aimed her bow at the interloper . Her half elven eyes could make out a thin form in the dark. She was about to let loose her arrow, but something made her hesitate. Her immediate thoughts were that of something intimately known to her.

Before Surry could rationalize what was happening , the figure took a step forward . "Wait ! I'm not here to fight you Surry. ", said a woman that looked oddly accustomed.

Surry blinked in shock. The figure that was speaking ...was herself. Or at least someone that appeared to be her. She saw there were many differences between her and her duplicate, mainly a rustic plain hairstyle and she wore a traditional leaf robe, but the height, angular features, and even voice were all the same.

"It is Surry isn't it? ", asked her mirror. Surry nodded despite herself. "Excellent! You won't believe how long I've waited to find you...again. ", the duplicate said with Surry's own smug grin.

* * *

><p>"Isula ! You're alive! ", shouted Sarin in delight.<p>

The miniature giant nodded but remained silent.

"Err the fat guy is called Chins. The short blond one is Sharliss's maid Nymph. Umm...I don't know who the cat woman is. ", began Zax as he attempted to make introductions to the two groups. Despite Sarin's outburst, the tiefling plodded along with his clumsy overview.

"This is Darwen, you guys know her...umm except for maybe catwoman there. This is my squire Rollie...and umm ...the elf is my other squire Ogela . You guys know Petrus right? Oh yeah, that's my pony Bucky 8. ", continued the tiefling trying to get the names right.

"Oh hey Petrus! I thought you were killed...umm what are you doing here?", waved Sarin slightly confused.

"He did die right? ", whispered the half elf to Nymk who confirmed it with a nod.

"I was indeed vanquished...but umm I got better it seems. Don't ask me how I ended up with Zax, I'm still not clear on that myself. I recalled getting crushed by a boulder, then I woke up in some blind cleric's manor. Next thing I know a giant eldritch Kraken is attacking the town, I'm then at a party aboard a flying ship , and now I'm here. ", shrugged Petrus. "My brain is still kind of addled if some of the details escape me. ", admitted the summoner.

"Wait a second, before you start pointing fingers at people who died. I thought the Maid died falling off the boat, and I kind of figured you died too, Chins. ", questioned Zax.

"Umm I landed on a griffon at the last second. ", responded Nymk swiftly.

"Catwoman...err I mean Lady Kania saved me. ", shrugged Sarin.

"Hold on a second. Everyone back off! ", warned Darwen. "Why is there a lamia with you , has she ensnared you with her will draining touch?", demanded the elf.

"Quite the opposite I'm afraid. I'm ensnared by the Blessed of Arcturus. ", replied Lady Kania smoothly with a bow. "If you prefer I can take a less hostile form. ", stated the lamia before assuming her standard humanoid form.

"Sir? This is way too confusing, my head hurts. ", stated Squire Rollo.

"Your head always seem to hurt. ", noted Ogela .

"Well, we're seeking the storm orb of the giants. We were side tracked by these Chuul.", Sarin tried to explain.

"What's a Chew-oh ?", asked Zax blankly.

"We were looking for Sharliss . She had been abducted by the Knights of the Griffon. ", stated Darwen .

"Sharliss is in danger? ", shouted Sarin with an edge of panic.

"We believe so. She was abducted by the Griffon knights during the giant invasion. ", confirmed Darwen bitterly.

"Giant Invasion? It has already begun? ", gasped Nymk .

"Started, fought , and over with. Thanks to Champion Zax there. ", stated Rollo proudly.

"Wait...they took Ivanovic's recommendation to make Zax a Champion, and no one challenged it? ", gasped Nymk even more surprised .

"He's not just a Champion, he's a royal Adventurer. ", grinned Petrus.

"Incredible. ", noted the stunned swords woman in amazement.

"How come they did not slay this particular giant during their invasion? ", asked Kania as she pointed at Isula.

"Isula is a giant? Could of fooled me. ", shrugged Rollo as he peered at the small albino girl in the ornate armor.

"Hey , hang on there. ", stated Zax as she walked to the maid. He approached her then motioned to her bow and quiver. The swords woman was unsure of what he wanted to confirm but handed it to him anyways.

"HAH! Look at this Darwen. Notice green arrows. They aren't black ! I was right, you were wrong! Not the sniper ! Not the sniper! ", taunted the tiefling merrily.

Darwen sniffed at his childish antics. "So how come you're not in Grom ?", she asked as she attempted to drown out Zax's cheerful shouts.

"Long story, but I was rescued from the Griffon Knights, hooked up with Hal's crew. Then a smaller giant raid struck his village carrying his people off. We of course assisted Hal on his rescue mission, had a scuffle or two with giants, but managed to get them back. Then Frank came by...", started Sarin but was interrupted.

"Champion Franksada? ", asked Ogela in reverence, showing rare emotion.

"Err yeah...that guy. Frank came by, warned us of some elemental plot, and we ...err I decided to help out. ", finished Sarin.

"Who is this Hal you speak of , and where is his crew? ", asked Ogela suspiciously.

"Halvor is the leader of a group of caravan guards. We needed Hal and Kirgi to take care of the refugees. ", shrugged Nymk.

"What is a Kirgi?", asked Rollo.

"A dolphin riding dwarf. ", stated Kania.

"Say what? ", noted Rollo as confused as ever.

"This still doesn't make any sense. It's so convoluted I can't follow this. Can anyone please explain what is exactly going on here?", demanded Zax.

Isula coughed and stepped up. "Please no interruptions. ", she warned.

"From my personal experiences and from what I have gathered here this is what happened. Sharliss feared the worse for Sarin after he was abducted. She enlisted the aid of Zax, Darwen and myself to rescue him and warn her father, since the new emperor forbade her to go on such a dangerous journey. To throw off suspicion we went south and rented a unique iron and bronze boat in the underground city of Darkbarkwark. After a battle with sahaugin we eventually reached Narwhal hold. The northern knights were concluding their great council, when an army of giants appeared out of nowhere and attacked. After some notable heroics , the tide was turned and the battle won. Sadly, Sharliss was abducted by a faction of knights, known as the Ice Griffons, and taken far away from Narwhal hold. We were tasked to retrieve her before a diplomatic incident occurs between Grom and the Northern Orders. ", she explained in a long speech.

The giant then took another deep breath and began reciting another tale.

"I do not know the exact details of the rescue, but I assume Nymk and Kania rescued Sarin from the Griffons. From there they met Halvor , who last I recalled was accompanied by Kirgi and Petrus. It appears that the frost giants were raiding the southern shores for supplies , and Halvor's home village must have been in their way. The giants captured prisoners there, and Hal enlisted his friends to recover them. I'm unsure what happened, but along the way there was a battle where Petrus here was slain by a boulder. A Bralanni Azata brought his corpse to Narwhal hold and we were able to revive him here. I do not know where this Azata came from and I guess neither do you. Since you seemed surprised at seeing him, I must conclude it was not your doing. From there you saw the violent storms occur. Not an unnatural occurrence, but they are out of season currently. Instead of fleeing to safety , your group decided to take it upon yourselves to right this wrong.", guessed Isula.

The giant cracked her neck then continued again.

"Meanwhile, Zax here was assigned a skyship to assist him in recovering the lady Sharliss. Believe it or not, he rubbed the captain the wrong way . The captain promptly rectified the situation by ejecting him at the first group of humanoids he saw. We can thank Captain Magnus for this improbable reunion. If he was a bit more diligent at his task, he would have probably continued scouting for Sharliss. I assume since Halvor , Kirgi and these freed villagers are not with you, you had set yourselves up as a diversion to expedite their escape from these Chuul. They were obviously more then you bargained for , but luckily for you at the last moment our landing skiff landed on the biggest one. " , finished Isula.

Everyone listened to the giant's lengthy explanation and pretended to nod in comprehension.

"One more thing...the high pitched screaming was Zax. He wasn't practicing any breathing exercises. ", added the small giant.

The group stood silent and attempted to process the information presented to them.

"One more question. ", quipped Sarin. " Since when did your common tongue get so good ?"

"I'll answer that when you tell me how you lost so much weight. ", smiled the miniature giant coyly.

* * *

><p>"Are you a doppelganger? ", asked Surry, but she already knew the answer. This was a projection of some future version of herself. If this was true, then that meant her past travels in the past were not mental in nature, but to actual alternate dimensions . Everything she thought she knew about her vivid dreams of the past were incorrect.<p>

"A fair question. If I was a doppelganger I would have assumed the shape of one of your companions that accompanied you. If I recall from my own past, several of the Champions of the North. You know who I am, I am Syr. I am you , or more accurately an alternate version of yourself in the future. As you can travel past and meet with versions of your self in the past, I can do the same with mine. ", Syr explained.

"Really ? You are me , or sort of me , dreaming in the future about this event in the past? You said you knew me. Did you visit me before? I don't recall any meetings of my future self, or do we meet sometime in the future? ",asked Surry .

Syr shook her head. " We might possibly meet again, but the truth of the matter is , that you traveled back to meet me ! More specifically you rescued me and Arl from an army of ravenous ogres. "

"I..I remember that. I seriously thought it was just a vivid dream. ", exclaimed Surry.

"Yes...you also drank all my booze , and even kissed my future husband full on the lips. He talked about it for weeks. ", noted Syr with some irritation.

"Hus..husband ? ", stammered Surry in disbelief.

"Oh yes...Arl and I eventually married. We shared many adventures together but I finally cornered him and forced him to tie the knot with me. I assume from your surprise, that you haven't cornered him yet ? ", smiled Syr as she pointed to the unconscious Erland. "My...he looks horrible in this dimension. He hasn't aged well at all here. ", she noted.

Surry shook her head, "No ..its not like that. I just met him again. ", explained Surry still reeling from discovering the fact that an alternate version of her had married the man she desired in her youth.

Syr looked at Surry in shock. "Just met again? I can't believe that. I live for him, and he lives for me. People write ballads about our unending love ! I can't imagine anything stopping him from being at your side. ", exclaimed Syr in disbelief.

"Look you don't have to rub it in. The truth is , for 30 years we both though the other one had died in the ogre attack. Which is not that surprising considering the chaos and the amount of casualties that day. Since that time he got married and became this goofy ruthless warlord with a squirrel on his head, and well...I moved on with my life. When we met again...he didn't even recognize me...still doesn't...which just goes to show how much he really cared about me. Look , I look the same and I even talk the same like I did 30 years ago , and he hasn't even once made that connection. I guess I was nothing more then a roll in the sack for him, one of many I'm sure. ", complained Surry bitterly in frustration.

Syr shook her head but decided not to press the matter. "Anyways, I said I was hoping to meet you again. Of all the versions of myself that I've met , you are the most unique. You are the only one that goes by the name of Surry, and you are also the only Archmage! ", declared Syr in reverence.

"Really? I'm the only archmage? I've met versions of myself in the past, but they were all still rangers . I thought it was a natural progression for me to concentrate on magic. ", noted Surry.

Syr nodded in agreement. " It's true. I myself wanted to become a wizard, but I lacked the funds to do so. Spell books, tutoring, components, focuses ,...they all add up. To tell you the truth, some versions of myself become Treekeepers like I did, most became rangers, and a pathetic few became...arcane archers! ".

Both Syr and Surry giggled at their brethren's lowly destiny.

"I actually thank you for saving me from my fate. You told me to make amends with our mother and I did. I've observed that the versions of me that did all enjoyed some kind of enlightenment and became Treekeepers. The versions that bitterly held onto their hate , became warriors, bandits...or worse. ", Syr said sadly.

Surry took in her words and nodded,"I bet I am the only one that had encountered my father , correct ? That might be the catalyst for my magical training. ", noted the archmage as she remembered Fetch and his companions that helped and encouraged her on the arcane path.

Syr nodded. "It is a hypothesis that I also share. Now...with that out of the way, I see you and Arl are in trouble. This is not exactly how I recalled we dealt with this situation. How can I help? "

Surry walked to Erland and pointed to his wounds. "We fell down an extremely deep crevasse, my magic cannot get us out, and his wounds are beyond my skills. ", she explained.

Syr nodded as she examined the Squirrel Champion. "Though I possess little arcane powers, my healing skill is unsurpassed. I can feel this areas barrier, but I think I can manage to heal his wounds. At least enough to revive him. ", claimed the future Treekeeper.

With that she fell to her knees and channeled her magic into him. Surry noted it was similar to her own treekeeper magic, but on a much greater scale . She noted a hint of jealousy within herself at her future self's ability to wield divine power.

Erland's eyes flicked open and he looked stunned.

"Surprise Snappy! There's two of us !", laughed Surry in jest.

"Syr? Syr ? Is that you! ", asked Erland softly. Before the future Treekeeper could reply, she was embraced in a strong tender hug.

Surry watched the scene in shock. The archmage's mind swam in confusion at the sight. After a few seconds she stomped to Erl and kicked him heavily in the side, breaking his hold on her duplicate.

"No friggin way! NO FRIGGIN WAY! This is not happening ! ", shouted Surry ,as all her bottled up frustration was being released in a red rage.

"Surry stop. This is Syr...my long lost love. ", explained Erland as he shrugged off her blows.

Surry and Syr both looked at each other in disbelief. "You son of a bitch! This..this is too cruel ! No Fck'n way this is happening you bastard! ", Surry shouted as she kicked him futilely again, tears flowed freely down her cheeks.

Erland scrambled to his feet and leaped back from the enraged Surry. "Look Surry. I admit we've grown close in the last few months, but this is Syr. The only woman I ever loved. I don't know how , but she's come back to me. I'm sorry for this. I didn't realize your feelings. ", protested Erland.

"ARRRGGHHH! I hate you! ", shouted Surry. Rage, fury and power flowed through the archmage like never before. Whatever enchantments that kept her magic in check, were methodically snapped and broken as Surry summoned all her mystic power. She would blast Erland into oblivion for this humiliation.

* * *

><p>After their unusual introductions the group decided to brave the glacier together. Chins admitted he had no idea where the orb was , but was happy to help rescue Sharliss. Zax of course had no idea where anything was, and was all too happy to follow the big bodyguard. If they met either objective they were all too happy to band together and face it together.<p>

"Lead the way big guy! ", declared the tiefling as he sought refuge from the winds behind the big body guard's back.

"Zax , isn't this kind of weird? ", Darwen asked as she huddled next to Zax for protection.

"Ummm what part?", asked Zax with a shrug.

Darwen thought about her question then shrugged as well. She then lightly kissed the tiefling on the cheek. "All of it! ", she smiled as she realized almost everything and everyone that mattered to her had gathered around them. Regardless of their eventual fate, this is where she wanted to be.

* * *

><p>"Wait! Don't do this Surry! I think I know what's going on! ", exclaimed Syr in fright. Even though she was a powerful Treekeeper, Syr knew that even she could not withstand the full power of an enraged archmage evoker. Even though she was from the future she could not match her past archmage self . Surry was power incarnate when it came to channeling destructive forces.<p>

Surry considered blasting her future self and Erland apart anyways, but she dispersed her power and relented. "I was about to give the pair of you a twin, echoing, maximized meteor swarm , followed by a quickened sudden empowered disintegrate. ", exaggerated the archmage but not by much.

Syr breathed a sigh of relief then quickly outlined the situation. "There is a very simple explanation to this. I should have guessed this immediately.", began the Treekeeper. She then turned to Erland ."Arl...can you not see that Surry and I look alike. ", she asked.

Erland gave them both an inquisitive look. "I love it that you remember your pet name for me by the way...and yes ...I admit you two do look similar. ".

Syr nodded, "Aren't you curious that we even sound the same, and we have similar names ?", she pressed.

Erland considered her statement. "Hmm...come to think of it, you two do sound alike and your names are close. That doesn't mean anything though. Alot of elves and half elves have similar musical voices and close sounding names. "

Surry grew impatient and interrupted the Grand Champion. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. you..you moron! Listen you idiot ! We look the same, sound the same, and we even have similar names. That's because we are the same person you dumb ass! Are you that friggin stupid or just that callous that you remember her and not me! ... I...I ...this is too much...", declared Surry before collapsing in tears to the ground.

Erland and Syr both rushed to the archmage's side. "Wait...you two are the same person? ",asked Erland. He seemed to smell them both and shake his head. "This can't be true. ", he said suspiciously.

Syr sighed and wiped the tears from the sobbing Surry. The Treekeeper had never seen herself like this, but could understand her pain. Arl was her true love, and to be denied that would send her to sobbing fits as well. "Surry,an archmage is a very rare and powerful person. They are also very rich. Merchants, mayors, governors, and even kings all vie for your services. I assumed you solved our poverty problems when you attained your distinguished rank? ", Syr asked.

"Yes..but I don't see... ", replied Surry , but was cut off.

"I see by the way you dress, and ...the way you smell...that you spare no expense in pampering yourself. ", observed Syr .

Surry nodded, "Of course. Why wouldn't I ? Despite the poverty of our youth, we were both instructed in the ways of nobility. Why wouldn't I indulge myself now that I can actually afford the trappings of my station. Designer robes, hair dressers, exotic perfumes, manicures, even the best food and drink. ", defended the archmage.

Syr chuckled. "That's it then. Arl can't fully recognize you because he doesn't rely exclusively on sight and sound. Of his senses, he relies on scent the most. ", declared the treekeeper as she pointed to Erland's nose.

"What? ", declared Surry.

"Surry is Syr? ", declared Erland in sudden realization.

"Yes..yes...I discovered this with my own Arl awhile back. I was given a gift of rare perfumes and I noticed the confusion on Arl's face when I put it on. It took him awhile to adapt to my scent once he realize who I was. I assume from your long absence with each other, that Arl never had a chance to connect your new scent to the old one. I suspect that Arl had his suspicions, but knowing my husband he probably kept quiet and ignored them. ", stated Syr.

"Husband? By the way , why are there two of you? ", asked Erland in confusion.

Surry ignored the question and considered Syr's hypothesis. It was true, she had witnessed Erland on multiple occasions use his scent to detect things only the highest forms of magic could, like the Grommish skyships, or even the giants in the mists. She just assumed he had something that was best described as a heightened ..super squirrel smelling power, she didn't realize he relied on his nose as much or even more than his eyes.

"I suspect my task is done here then because I sense my time is up. I don't always return after I assist one of my alternate selves, but I have noticed a definite correlation between the two. Good luck , and thanks again Surry. Regardless if I ever became a Treekeeper, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for giving me the push to reconcile with mother.", bowed Syr.

The Treekeeper then took a step back and vanished into whatever future reality that spawned her.

Erland and Surry looked at each other uneasily.

The pair were at a loss for words .

"I'm sorry I didn't know... ", stated Erland finally.

Surry took a deep breath and shook her head. "Now is not the time. In my rage, I've broken the magical chains that had bound me here. It might take a few hops, but I can get us out of this hell hole. After that we can continue our quest. We can discuss this after we save the world Snappy. ", the archmage declared while suppressing a tear.

Erland nodded in muted agreement and took the Archmage's hand.

In a flash they were gone.


	67. Chapter 67

"This is useless Hal.", complained Kirgi again. Despite the howling winds, his voice rung clearly. The dwarf and the big knight had marched for hours to no avail. There were no signs of their comrades Sarin, Nymk and Kania or signs of this mysterious globe they were seeking. All the unlikely pair found was ice, snow and more ice.

The winds hammered the frozen lands and swept all before them. The frozen land was harsh and all bowed before it, but some how the dwarf and knight were unaffected.

"Do you want to turn back? Is saving the world too boring for you? ", joked Halvor as he continued unencumbered by the elements on his march.

Kirgi fumed at the comment, but remained silent.

The pair continued their march for what seemed like miles.

"Have you noticed whatever protected us on the ocean is still with us? ", noted Halvor finally after they crested a frozen hill.

Kirgi shrugged, "Yeah I saw that. When Sarin left us, he was instantly battered by the winds. When those Crab sailors took off, same thing. Storms, winds, sleet, and all the wrath of the god of storms, Nonak, swirl around us, but we're untouched. "

"Aye. Kania mentioned a nature spirit of some sort protecting us. I believe her, but I wonder why it is granting us its favor. I wish I knew what makes us so special to deserve this. ", noted Halvor.

Kirgi shrugged again. "Well, its definitely not cuz we're good looking ! Hah! ", laughed the dwarf.

Halvor chuckled at the comment. "Speak for yourself old friend. And I do mean old. "

"I'm not that old, for a dwarf at least. I'm just…weathered that's all. ", joked the dwarf.

"Weathered…that's a good way to put it. Regarding this nature spirit, or whatever it is, I'm just glad its with us. We would most likely freeze to death without it. Despite your hardy dwarven constitution and my Grommish blood, this weather would have reduced us to ice where it not for its protection.", noted the big knight.

"You think it's a sign? You think the very forces of nature think we will succeed? ", asked the dwarf.

"Perhaps. It's not up to them though, its up to us. They might lend us a helping hand, but I don't see them marching up a glacier in the middle of nowhere. ", replied the big knight.

Kirgi nodded and the pair continued further up the iceberg.

* * *

><p>The winds howled and to Sharliss's amazement , the temperature dropped further. Even the normally unshakeable Griffon knights had halted and formed camp.<p>

"I'm shocked Sir Jurgen. That is your name is it not? ", asked the priestess . " The unstoppable Griffon knights have …stopped. From only a bit of cold. ", taunted Sharliss further.

Sir Jurgen scowled and casually slapped the priestess in the face. The force and strength of the blow caught Sharliss by surprise and she fell to the ground in pain. The griffon warrior squatted next to her and smiled. "Ahh…one of the advantages of the blizzard, no one can see me putting a bitch in her place. Don't try squealing to Stormfeather, I'll just claim you fell on the ice . As for us stopping, the weather might have turned on us, but we did not stop because of that. Your father is supposed to be the Warmaster is he not? Surely some of his battle acumen has rubbed off on you? Look around you, at the terrain, at the simple fortifications we have erected, we are in a defensible camp. We aren't stopping , we are where we want to be. ", he said cryptically.

"Don't worry priestess, this will all be over soon. We'll take our leave off this accursed glacier, and we'll no longer be requiring you as a hostage. We have the orb, and the giants.

Sharliss touched her mouth, and saw she was bleeding. If she was human the blood would have already frozen to her face, but due to her abyssal heritage it continued to slowly bleed. She wiped her face and considered what she had gleaned from Jurgen. The last bit of information had cost her, but at least she knew partially what they were planning.

She looked at the bracelet locked around her wrist. The item was the main thing that was keeping her prisoner here, it stripped her of magic and power. It was more of a shackle then a piece of jewelry, complete with a lock. Sharliss appraised the complex latch and did not give it much thought. Her mother had taught her a bit of lock picking when she was younger. Her mother normally didn't boast, but the priestess did recall she claimed to have been able to open a masterwork chest inside a sphere made to hold a balor, with molten adamant poured inside. Sharliss always enjoyed that story, regardless of if it was true or not. The priestess lifted her shackle before her and studied it carefully.

She then lifted a small thin scrap of metal that she had salvaged when tending the wounded knights and their shredded armor.

She wasn't her mother, but this certainly wasn't a sphere meant to hold a balor.

* * *

><p>Earl looked at the maelstrom below him. Besides the recovery of Hush he was also concerned with the acquisition of the artifact named the Aaapallo Myrskyjen or the celestial orb as the others call it . During his many travels through the world , and the planes beyond, the ex-assassin had heard of this item. In the ancient days it allowed the giants to form ice bridges to start their invasions . They had other items as well, such as an axe that could open short portals or even an item that could summon phantom soldiers, but the orb was considered the most powerful. If the legends were accurate it could allow an army to travel or stop one in its tracks, it could also bury a city in snow. Earl recalled something that the only reason the giants didn't use it to rule the world was that only an ancient line of the giant blood could use it , and it exacted a terrible toll. If Champion Frank's stories could be believed then the elementals had recovered the orb and a member of the giant nobility . He wondered what horrible tortures that the rock men must be inflicting on their prisoner to force him to destroy his own people.<p>

"See anything?", asked Captain Magnus as he patrolled the deck of the Imperial.

"No sir. ", the ex-assassin replied as he scanned the storm below with his eagle like eyes. Other scouts were on deck as well, but they had to rely on telescopes or other large seeing lenses. Earl noted that the Captain had asked him directly.

Though Captain Ramirez had transferred him to this vessel, the lack of mass panic told the ex-assassin he had kept his identity safe. Despite his friend's discretion , Earl guessed he must have hinted at his particular skill set to his fellow captain. The ex-assassin noted that Captain Magnus seemed fairly strict even by military standards, but he was also very efficient. Traits that Earl decided he could work with.

He wondered if it would have been more expedient if he landed with the tiefling. As an ex royal adventurer himself, Earl knew full well how unreliable they were. The ex-assassin overheard the conversation the tiefling had with Lord Quick and knew they were more concerned in saving their own miserable hides than Sharliss's . Despite this, self-preservation was typically one of the few ways to motivate a Royal Adventurer. The people the tiefling had surrounded himself seemed capable though, and that was a good sign. The tough magic using sergeant, two battle tested squires, even a powerful summoner. The small albino was a mystery though, but she did carry around a noblewoman's confidence.

Earl sighed. The talk of nobility reminded him of Brita. If somehow they survive this , he hoped he could be at her side. From their last talk, it seemed she wanted it as well. A part of him knew it would be impossible, but that had never stopped him before. He earned his previous rank and title by doing impossible things. Most of those deeds involved killing though, very few involved starting a long lasting relationship with an elven princess. A truly epic task laid ahead of him he thought with a smile.

"Something funny?", asked Captain Magnus as he noticed his grin.

"No sir. ",replied Earl, stifling the uncharacteristic laugh. He admonished himself for the slip, but knew it wasn't fully his fault. He found he often let his emotions get the best of him when Brita was involved.

"Ramirez told me to place my trust in you, a low ranking ship steward of all things. He is one of the few Captains I respect, so I will honor his wish. However, can you tell me in which aspect of the field should I rely on you the most?", inquired the Captain gruffly.

Earl considered the question carefully. He normally would have given a muted answer or none at all, however he considered this his last mission for Grom . If they failed there wouldn't be much of a world left to keep his secrets, if they won then he would be at Brita's side. "All of them. ", he said with no hint of pride.

* * *

><p>Zax and his band chalked up their unlikely reunion as simply fate. They had much greater worries at the moment than to connect the dots of random destiny. The orb of storms, the capture of Sharliss, even the end of the world seemed more important than questioning the likelihood of their meeting. The group began the long march up the glacier and towards the iceberg . Several hours had passed and it appeared they were approaching the center of the storm.<p>

"What's the hold up !", demanded Zax over the roaring wind. The recently famous Royal Adventurer and his companions had been slowly scaling the mountain of ice to hopefully catch their foes by surprise. Zax had sent his his consort Darwen and the surprisingly agile maid Nymph to scout the path ahead, but was disappointed to find that their progress had been stymied.

"Its bad ...real bad...", Darwen shouted back. To accent her point, she pointed to a narrow chasm, with a frozen log connecting it. On the other side Zax could see the small silhouette of Nymph waving enthusiastically at him.

"Eh...I don't get it? There's a chasm, but there's a log over it. I see Nymph on the other side...what's the problem?", asked a puzzled Zax.

"It's not that easy. The log..its icy. Its um really slippery. Nymk can cross it ...well because she's Nymk, the infamous sniper I might add. The rest of us won't be so lucky.", explained the Grey haired elf.

"Pffttt…sniper ..yeah right. ", commented Zax under his breath.

The tiefling scratched his head, " Throw a rope across ?"

Darwen shook his head," Already tried that, there's nothing to attach to on the other side."

"Drive spikes in the log?"

"Log is too hard...even elven steel can't pierce it."

"Fly over the log with a spell or a summoned creature?"

"Winds are too fierce."

"Teleport?"

"Innate magical disruption here is too strong and none of us possess that kind of power."

"Crawl on our bellies on the log?"

"Too slippery, we'll just slide off."

"Use magic to shape the ice ..or better yet use warp wood on the log. To create foot and hand holds?"

"Sorry...Magic log."

Zax stared at the elf in frustration, he hoped she was joking but her grim visage told him that this obstacle was very serious indeed. They were amongst the most powerful adventurers in the world, but they were stopped dead in their tracks...by a log.

The tiefling shrugged his shoulders, "Well...looks like our quest is at an end. We have to either turn back or go the long way.", he noted grimly as he suppressed his joy.

"HEY What's the hold up!", demanded Sarin as he caught up to the rest of the party.

Darwen simply shrugged and pointed to the icy log, and Sarin's face immediately blanched.

"This is an outrage. I am Sarin a paladin of Linel . I am an honored warrior of the north. I've defeated the undead hosts. I've battled Duegar , fought giants , and have even survived against a prehistoric polar chuul. An ice covered log will not stop me! . Stand back everyone ! Let me show you how a real hero handles this.", said the fat paladin as he pushed his companions aside.

"WAIT! ", shouted Zax. "I have a real bad feeling about this. ", he warned cautiously.

"It's fine. Just stay here till I run a rope across and secure it on my ..umm girth. ", explained Sarin.

"No…I say we go around. I just got a real bad feeling about this. ", commanded Zax.

"Wait…Sharliss could be in danger, our foes could be getting away from us as we speak. We don't have time to go around this thing. ", argued Sarin.

"Look! Who's the Champion of the Furry dog here?", shouted Zax through the blizzard.

"Husky! ", corrected Nymk and Darwen simultaneously.

"Who's the Royal Adventurer, and slayer of the half goof ball? ", continued the tiefling.

"What the hell is a half goof ball, is it some type of tiefling hallucinogenic? ", shrugged Sarin .

"Whateva….listen, I'm not crossing that thing, and my people aren't crossing that thing. It's more then it appears. I just have a bad feeling about it . I'm not your boss , you can go across it, but the rest of us are going around. You got that? ", shouted Zax.

Sarin eyed him carefully. He hadn't met the tiefling for a while, but was surprised at the stiff stance he took. He admired the backbone of the man and looked at his companions. Darwen , Rollo, and Petrus quickly filed to his side, so did Isula and Ogela though he noted they were more reluctant. He saw Nymk shrug but the paladin knew he was outnumbered.

"Ok, we do it your way. ", sighed Sarin.

* * *

><p>Sharliss expected a long wait. From what she saw of the Griffon, they were cold , cunning, ruthless, but most importantly efficient. Sir Jurgen had guarded her closely, and it seemed futile to escape from him. That was why when the guard changed it caught the priestess by surprise. Sir Jurgen argued a bit, since he was given his task by Prince Stormfeather himself, however his relief also seemed motivated to fulfill his task. The priestess heard something about another of Stormfeather's siblings giving the order. Sharliss guessed the new guard's orders were not to be denied as well.<p>

As the two argued, Sharliss took the opportunity and enacted her plan. She placed a simple illusion of herself as she slipped away unseen. The phantasm would never had held up under any form of scrutiny but the combination of the blizzard and the two arguing guards would buy her a few seconds perhaps even a few minutes at least.

The priestess knew the safest thing to do was to run , but she couldn't with so much at stake. She figured she would be unable to wrest the orb , since Lord Felwind guarded it diligently, however there was another way to end the Griffon's plans.

She scrambled towards the captive giants unseen with an enchantment. Her magic was still drained from the previous battle, but she was still a capable healer. She looked at the two drained giants and channeled restoration magic in them. She guessed correctly that their wounds weren't merely physical, but actual scarring to their souls. Her spell would not erase such wounds but it would give them strength, strength enough to escape. If she could not take the orb, she could at least take their only method of harnessing it.

"Run..run now. ", she whispered in Jotun to them. Her mastery of the giant tongue was poor, but she was glad she was given some instruction in it by her father. Sharliss missed him dearly right now, but she knew now was not the time to reminisce.

The giants nodded both in surprise and promptly followed her order. A pair of griffon guards attempted to stop them but were easily brushed aside by the rejuvenated giants. Sharliss added to the confusion by casting spells of fog and darkness amongst them. The priestess was confused that the normally paranoid griffon would place so few guards but decided to seize the opportunity instead of worry about it. She incapacitated one with a spell of holding and the other with a spell of charming.

The priestess saw the rest of the Griffon would soon be on her so she swiftly ran tangent to the giants. She hoped the pair would be able to escape through the blizzard. This was their natural terrain and unlike their pursuers they were unhindered by the cold or blizzard. After she placed herself well ahead of her jailers , the priestess use some of her arcane magic to grow to the size of a giant. A spell she had seen Isula use on many occasions. Sharliss hoped she could distract and divert their attention to give the two prisoners a chance to escape.

She considered it ironic that she was recently battling the giants only to find herself rescuing them.

Such chaos seemed her fate.

* * *

><p>"This is an outrage! Find the giants! ", shouted Champion Felwind. Two dozen knights scrambled at his command.<p>

"Settle down pops, they won't get far. ", assured Stormfeather as he attempted to calm his raging father.

"Sir….Lady Sharliss has escaped as well. While I was being relieved. People saw her prone during the giants escape, but I assume she fled during the confusion. ", stated Jurgen.

Stormfeather saw fear in the knight, but he did not sense deceit . He would be punished , but not as severely as the ones that enabled the giants to escape.

"Lionsong! Iceclaw, gather the men and retrieve the prisoners. ", yelled the Griffon Prince.

"Your wifey first or second? She nice…she heal me ..umm ", began the brutish Iceclaw but was soon locked in confusion. He held up a close fist and mumbled something after he lifted one finger, then something as he held up the second. The older Griffon Prince seemed taken back by his discovery but then nodded, "...umm…two times she healed me. ", he stated proudly.

"Giants first, Sharliss second. I doubt we can find her anyways in this storm. ", sighed Stormfeather.

"Wait!", shouted one of Felwind's seers. The old man pointed to the sky and the clouds suddenly began dispersing. Whatever magic had held the storm in place had finally vanished.

"This will make spotting them easier, but the giants still hold quite the speed advantage on us , especially with this much snow on the ground. ", commented Jurgen .

Champion Felwind laughed with a twinkle in his eye, "Faster then us even if we were mounted I suspect. However, we are the Order of the Griffon after all."

* * *

><p>Captain Blaze was having second thoughts of her alliance with the Griffon. The words of the priestess still rung through her head. What if she was right? What if the elementals were to bring forth the Armageddon ? What if her actions had directly contributed to the inability of the Champions of the North to stop Ogremoch? And most importantly…how was she going to spend her ill gotten gold.<p>

The captain was a skilled wizard, but knew her magic was incapable of creating an escape portal, especially so far north where transportation magic was unreliable. At best she could teleport only herself to the specified location. In the mean time, would her ship be able to weather the storm? Would she be safe from the wrath of the earth deity?

She ran her fingers through the chest full of gold and gems that were offered in payment for her services. She had to cancel her deal with the tiefling, and it pained her to betray Sharliss like this. The pair had helped the Acheron when they attacked the sahaugin. The shark men were much stronger then she had anticipated, and she knew that the outcome of her raid would have been far less favorable if the two of them had not helped her.

"Captain … the clouds..the clouds have cleared. ", stated a chubby half elven buccaneer.

Blaze laughed. Thoughts of doom and gloom were swept away. Thoughts of even more gold and jewels in her treasure chest greedily replaced the scenario of Armageddon. Champion Felwind had apparently succeeded in his mission.

"Inform the remaining knights of the situation , and assist them in preparing their Griffons. ", shouted the Captain. As her buccanners where complying with her orders, she uttered a few arcane phrases and teleported away to more riches and gold.

* * *

><p>Sharliss's plan fell quickly apart. The storms that had covered her escape were gone, the griffon knights would soon find both the giants and herself, and all her efforts would then be for naught.<p>

As the priestess ran through the snow in her enlarged form , she knew that she presented an easy target. She had no armor, and did not have enough protective spells to even enact a proper magical defense.

Sharliss felt a sharp pain in her back and knew the griffon were on to her. She glanced and saw an arrow in her shoulder. She staggered forwards then tripped and fell into the ice.

The priestess lifted herself to her knees, but a heavy blunt force smashed into the side of her head.

"Escape from me will you? Then leading us on this little wild goose chase ? Make me look bad? ", shouted a voice to the dizzy Sharliss. She couldn't make it out , but it sounded like a very angry Sir Jurgen.

A sharp kick to her face sent her spinning to the ground again. Despite her enlarged size, she was no match physically for the veteran Griffon Knight. She heard several other voices as well and guessed there might have been up to two dozen pursuers . Roughly all of the griffon knights had followed her , she guessed. A small victory .

Sharliss rolled into a ball and began sobbing. She saw Jurgen standing before her gloating. He reached down and grasped her hair and twisted it painfully. "Shrink …shrink now. ", he ordered angrily.

Sharliss complied and released the magic.

Jurgen grabbed her chin and brought her face directly to his. "One more shred of resistance from you , and I will beat you to an inch of your life. Do you got that? ", he threatened.

Sharliss's tears had done their job and she now had her opponent directly in front of her. She felt more comfortable in her normal size rather than the ungainly giant she was. She shook her head swiftly and then bit deeply into Jurgen's hand. The Griffon knight recoiled from the sudden bite, but the priestess quickly grabbed his arm before it could escape. She twisted the arm suddenly then reversed her stance and manage to throw the surprised knight onto his back. A sudden stomp with her boot to Jurgen's head swiftly laid him unconscious.

She then turned to her massed foes and fired a bolt of lightning at them. It was an impressive looking evocation , but her mastery of it was still weak. It scattered a few knights, but the bulk of them appeared unfazed by her noisy attack. "I heard that loud and clear. ", she growled to the remaining knights with all the courage she could muster.

"MEORRW , what a scrapper. You intrigue me even more and more. ", clapped Stormfeather. " A clever ruse . I'm intrigued how you escaped the draining shackle, and impressed how you grew and tricked us. From a distance I honestly thought I was chasing a giant through the snow. A good effort , but it's over now my dear. ", said the Griffon Prince with a threatening voice.

A knight advanced and spat at the prone body of Jurgen. Sharliss knew she was able to take down Jurgen only because she drew him in and had the element of surprise. She doubted she could replicate her attack on the wary warrior that was approaching her. She unleashed a volley of magic missiles at the man , but he calmly absorbed it with his shield and continued to advance. He raised his mace ready to strike down the priestess .

*Thunk*

The advancing knight stopped and fell to his knees. A crossbow bolt protruding from his neck.

"I'm pretty sick and tired of you guys you know. I go get some drinks in Lower Lueders and I get the boots given to me by mace wielding griffon tattooed punks. I'm at Grom City, and you guys go beat up my buddy's girl in a rigged duel. I'm in the Shattered mountains, and you guys firebomb my caravan , and rip the head off of one our guards. I'm in the mountains and you guys try to steal my treasure. Now…here in the middle of nowhere , I find you dirt bags mugging a woman. What's up with you losers! ", demanded a gruff voice.

The griffon knights stopped in their tracks and scanned for their new opponent. Sharliss stopped as well and blinked in surprise at this new development. She took the pause in battle and quickly scanned the horizon. She spotted what looked like a dwarf perched atop a large slab of ice.

"Kill him! ", shouted Stormfeather and the Griffon Knights snapped to attention.

A knight in robes began incanting a spell. With drilled practice, two knights covered the spell caster with their shields. Before the Griffon wizard could complete his cantations , a massive warrior with an axe burst through the snow and buried his axe cleanly into him.

Sharliss shook off her astonishment at this sudden turn of events, and blessed her new allies with a prayer of conviction. A griffon knight charged her , but she easily sidestepped the attack. She scrambled for Jurgen's mace to fend off the new attacker, but suddenly a crossbow bolt clipped him in the leg. The knight stumbled from the wound, but still managed to turn towards the priestess. Sharliss quickly swung her newly retrieved mace into the man's body, and managed to strike him on his weapon arm. The priestess was shocked at the violence but continued to press her attack. The knight maintained the hold on his weapon , and parried her blow and swung at Sharliss again. The priestess attempted to block, but her opponent's attack was still too swift. It struck her on the shoulder and she could hear the sickening sound of bones cracking.

Sharliss reeled back and expected her wounded opponent to continue his assault, but another crossbow bolt embedded into his chest. The priestess expected the man to fall, but the stoic warrior simply retreated back to his allies.

Sharliss half expected more warriors to rush her, but she was surprised to see them engaged. The large knight with the axe seemed to have tied up the entire band of knights by himself. She knew he was doomed, but she was impressed that he fought with such conviction and confidence. Each swing of his mighty axe cracked shields, sundered weapons, and brought death to his foes. Sharliss had met many heroes in her short life, mainly from association with her father, but she was quite taken back by the fury of the hero that was before her.

The famed griffon archer's were firing their bows at the dwarf, but the dwarf easily had the advantage. His elevation, and his ability to fire from a prone position gave him a distinct edge over his Griffon foes. Sharliss noticed an archer attempting to flank the dwarf, but a sudden gust of wind engulfed him. The wind swirled about the archer, and it appeared to toss the man aside.

"ENOUGH! ", shouted Stormfeather. The Griffon Prince dashed forwards and it looked like he would skewer the axe wielding warrior with his two handed blade. The large warrior manage to parry the blow with his axe , but was pushed back by the force of Stormfeather's strike. Sharliss attempted to assist the man but a griffon knight charged her instead. Despite her wounded shoulder she managed to fan her hands and engulf the man in a cone of flame. The man seemed more blinded then wounded by the fire and he pressed the attack. Fortunately for her a crossbow bolt struck the man in the back and he tumbled into the snow.

Sharliss turned her attention back to the warrior with the axe . The man had somehow avoided Stormfeather's killing strikes but the priestess saw he was cut from a dozen places. The Griffon prince was wary of the man's strong blows and engaged in a pattern of circling and darting in for light blows. The big knight seemed to fatigue quickly from the dance of attrition and lowered his weapon in exhaustion.

Sharliss gasped as her mysterious savior was about to be cut down by Stormfeather. The Griffon warrior darted in for a death blow , but suddenly the big knight recovered, trapped his blade and struck the Prince with his axe. Sharliss gasped as she recognized the maneuver , Hildraxel's gambit. Only a few knew of that move. Her Uncle Frank, surprisingly enough Zax, and of course herself. She used it once during a sparring session with Zax, and knew first hand how hard it was to pull off in a fight. Stormfeather fell back, but clerics of the Griffon swiftly healed his wounds. The big warrior was bleeding from a dozen wounds but he still managed to stumble back towards the priestess. Crossbow bolts kept the reeling Griffon knights at bay.

Sharliss saw the Griffon knights were regrouping and would most likely attack soon, "Sir Hildraxel? ", she asked tentatively, still unsure of her saviors identity as she placed a prayer of healing on him.

"Hah, no believe it or not I learned that from a girl I once knew. We need to get out of here. We were looking for some sort of orb thing, but we spotted this battle. No way I'll sit back with a two dozen knights bearing down on a maiden. ", gasped the big warrior as some of his vitality was recovered by Sharliss's spell.

Sharliss stopped at the sound of his voice. She scanned his axe and saw a ratty , torn , shredded handkerchief attached to it. It was the most beautiful thing she ever saw.

"Hal…", she asked in a shakey voice.

The big knight stopped in this tracks. "Sharliss…..you've …you've really grown. ", said the man in disbelief.

Before Sharliss could reply the Griffon knights were upon them once again. A half dozen archers kept the dwarf pinned as the front line warriors charged. Halvor swung his axe in a wide arc to slow their advance. One knight unfortunately caught the force of his blow and it embedded fatally into his side. With the axe temporarily stuck, the rest of the Griffon warriors seized the opportunity and swung their maces and swords at the big knight. Despite her healing, the big knight was brought down by the sheer volume of blows he suffered.

Sharliss screamed in fear and panic. Her small repertoire of offensive magic had long been used up but she still had some healing magic left. She attempted to rush to the fallen Halvor's side but before she could reach him, a strong hand gripped her foot. The priestess was unceremoniously upended and fell hard onto the ice and snow.

Several swift kicks to her side rendered her crying in pain. "Gotta make sure she's not faking this time. ", commented the distinct voice of Sir Jurgen. "She's a slippery little bitch. We should kill her to be safe. If you really desire her, sire, we can get a cleric to raise her from the dead later. ", offered the knight as she continued to kick the priestess.

*BANG*

The small griffon detachment stopped as a loud boom shook the air. A thin man with an orange face accompanied by a small squad of assorted warriors assembled before the knights. They appeared to be a rag tag group with no unified appearance.

"Adventurers. ", spat a knight. "They're everywhere."

"Ok, that's enough ! ", shouted the orange man, "We heard and saw the lightning after the clouds broke, and I'm shocked at what I've found. 2 dozen Griffon Knights versus 3 wayward followers? Despicable! ", spat the small thin man.

He walked forwards and drew his blade menacingly. All attention focused on the tiefling. "Come ! All at once or one at a time...my blade awaits. ", sneered Zax in all his fury.


	68. Chapter 68

"Stop flirting, or I'll sink my axe into your groin. ", threatened Hero over the roaring winds.

"Look , I'm sorry. My behavior was inappropriate. All my life I've been alone. Not because there weren't any people around me, but there was no one to really stand by me. No one to trust , no one that I could believe in. Now at the end of the world, I strangely feel a kinship to you. We might have days, perhaps hours, maybe even minutes…but I never felt such a honest bond with anyone before. I would never be so direct, especially with a woman like yourself, but …what can I do when we're out of time . ", said Frank with a down cast head.

Hero snarled under her helm , even though the obscurement of the blizzard Frank could tell she was not amused .

Frank opened one eye from his bowing position and gave the Boar Champion a sly smile, "The sensitive approach isn't working I take it?"

"Can you skip all this nonsense Frank, there's still a chance we can stop this destruction. I find this all very distasteful, the Champion of the Boar is not only married, but she has a child as well. ", said an echoing elven voice.

Frank straightened up and stared at his sword. "Really? Hero is a mother? Well daddy likes what he sees. Milfs need luvin too. "

Hero shook her head, trying to ignore the irritating knight. She continued plodding through the thick snows. "We just need to get to Aethulwulf. Ready or not he has to activate the Ghost Mammoth again. After that we'll retrieve Erland and Surry. "

Frank frowned. "Won't that added strain ...like kill him?"

"A necessary sacrifice. One that I would be willing to make if I were in his place. I am sure you would do the same. ", replied Hero .

Frank considered her words. " I dunno. Getting yourself killed in battle to get a few more licks in on your foe is one thing, dying to power a partially invisible elephant is another. Seems like a waste. "

"Heroism isn't measured in the amount of foes you kill. It's also measure by self-sacrifice. ", said a deep voice from the blizzard.

Frank and Hero stopped with weapons at the ready.

"Surry ? Erland ?", asked Frank as his eyes focused on the two approaching figures. Surry leaned on the Grand Champion exhausted, while Erland himself limped through the snow. Frank saw he was covered in wounds and bandages.

"Yes we made it out. We are still far from our goal though. " , sighed Erland as he pointed to the area of the chasm.

"Too bad we can't make this damn wind stop. That would make things easier. ", nodded Frank.

Suddenly the winds and the snow stopped, as the skies cleared.

The small group looked around, still astonished that the blizzard had stopped.

"TOO BAD HOT SEXY BARBARIAN WOMEN START MOBBING ME! ", shouted Frank.

"Err..Feeling anything Hero. If you have the need to jump on me and rip my clothes off , its ok. ", commented Frank.

Hero shook her head and ignored the Crab Champion, then she turned to confront Erland. "This helps, but it's still a long trip . We walked almost all the way back to Aethulwulf, we've lost a lot of time. Does Surry have enough strength left to conjure us a flight spell, or a hovering mount of some sort?"

"I fear, I cannot summon my magic to assist you at this point. Escaping the chasm was difficult. It was not only magical draining…but emotionally exhausting as well. ", whispered Surry weakly.

Before Erland could speak, Frank held out his hand. "Have no fear guys, the Champion of the Crab is here. ", with that he reached into his armor and pulled out what looked like a small canary. The small bird chirped and flapped its wings merrily as it greeted the fresh cold air.

"ummm…what are we supposed to do with that? …err…do we eat it? ", wondered Erland .

Frank held out a finger and placed the canary close to his mouth. He whispered something into it and released the bird. Before their eyes, the bird's body began to grow, twist and warp. The creature's sudden transformation filled the group with wonder . Soon all signs of the bird were gone and its place was a gleaming golden dragon. It's scales glistened in the sunlight and only a few green scales marred its perfect majesty.

"This, my friends, is Molly, my gold dragon. ", said Frank proudly as he patted the radiant noble beast. "It's a tight fit, but I can squeeze a few of you aboard. Ladies make sure you put the emphasis on the word squeeze. ",

Surry shook her head and closed her eyes. A sound akin to screaming and whistling sounded in the distance , then suddenly a blue grey thunderbolt smashed into the ground near them and kicked up a massive spray of ice and snow. "I don't have my magic , but I still have Pixietrampler. ", she said with a weak smile.

Hero looked at the two mighty war beasts, and then she looked at the leering Frank. "Dibs on the horse. ", she quickly volunteered.

* * *

><p>Taskmaster Uzrith roared in anger as he reformed himself. His lord would not be pleased. These flesh creatures had taken the orb, and taken the royal born giants from him.<p>

The ice rumbled slightly, and Uzrith raged at his lack of power. If he was standing on stone instead of this accursed frozen water, the ground would be ripped asunder by his wrath. He smashed the ice below him with his massive fists and it cracked and crumbled at his power.

After a few minutes of futile rage, the Archomental calmed down. The storms had stopped, but he still had an army at his command, it mattered not where his foes fled, he would find them.

He sent a vibration into the ice and sent it rumbling towards the besieged city of Frosthaven. Recovery of the Jotun items was important to his lord, but not so much as the orb. He would send everything if need be to ensure it would be retrieved.

Uzrith then looked at his shattered minions and knew they were not strong enough. He observed creatures known as bears in this hostile terrain . They were large, powerful and were unafraid of anything. Even much larger creatures such as the frost giants or white dragons were challenged by these beasts. The archomental concentrated and reformed the fallen stone and earth of his fallen troops into earthen facsimiles of a pair of massive bruins.

His two newly formed pets rumbled deeply at Uzrith, both eager to fulfill their master's wishes.

He simply pointed at the almost obscured track of the griffon knights and commanded them to kill.

* * *

><p>Captain Magnus grinned at the turn of events. The maelstrom had vanished and he was free to find the missing Sharliss. His mission would soon be concluded, with no casualties or damage. The captain was not a violent man, he preferred victory with as little loss of life as possible. That was one of the reason he became a Captain of a skyship instead of say a commander in the army. A skyship could outmaneuver and enemy and end the battle without a single blade drawn. Destroying the enemies supply depots , outflanking a foe, or even the mere presence of his vessel descending menacingly on an enemy command squad was often enough to force an enemy's retreat or surrender.<p>

Not that the Captain and his vessel weren't capable of straight out combat. The Republic had proven itself quite well in the battle over Grom City. It was swarmed by Griffons, but it repelled them none the less. It would have survived the fierce battle except for the fact it was struck by a volley of Dragon golem fire from the palace itself. The captain had not expected an attack from the palace, and he cursed the palace guards for letting the seat of Grommish power fall so easily. If the Griffon had not disabled his vessel, then he would not have suffered the humiliation of it being repaired and renamed to the Imperial by the new emperor.

"Captain! Griffons at starboard! ", shouted one of the Imperial's scouts.

Magnus looked at the indicated direction and saw roughly 40 of the griffon war mounts. They were of a different breed than those that had attacked the capital. These appeared faster, bigger, and were flying more in unison. He compared them to train war horses , then simple riding steeds.

"Any sign of the hostage?", inquired the nondescript steward.

The scout scanned the flock and shook his head. Roughly 10 are mounted, the rest have no riders. I see no sign of a blue haired girl. ", noted the scout.

Magnus grinned. All thoughts of his personal policy of surgical strikes and cunning victories involving maneuver vanished. All he could think of was vengeance, for his ship and for his pride. " Battle stations. We'll destroy this group, wipe them out of the sky , and then question any survivors. "

* * *

><p>Zax walked forwards and drew his blade. "Come all at once or one at a time...my blade awaits. ", sneered the confident appearing tiefling.<p>

Zax was doing all he could to not scamper away and hide behind Darwen. Every bit of courage went into his speech and he hoped it was enough to scare his enemy away. Even with his friends and allies at his side, the tiefling did not like the odds. Roughly twenty to thirty of the Order of the Griffon's most hardened knights stood before him. He recalled the trouble he had with Sir Cheatface and the guys waiting outside the Tax office. He had a gut feeling that those guys were pushovers compared to the band in front of him.

Zax waited anxiously for them to disperse. He noted they all seemed unsure of themselves and seemed to be on the edge of retreat. He thought maybe his over glorified reputation was working its magic on these guys.

"Oh come now. Show me your famous courage, show me your famous skill. ", taunted the tiefling while fearing for his life. Zax thought all he had to do was bluff these guys, then he could rescue his friends, and hopefully retire in Irendi safely in Darwen's small but well formed bosom.

The knight's morale seemed to be shaken by the commanding presence of the tiefling. Zax figured one more push should send these chivalric phonies scurrying to their mothers. Using the relics that Ivan had passed to him, he shaped his armor into the most gleaming shiny mess he could safely walk in, while the banner of the furry dog flapped formidably at his side. The blade of the furry dog was changed into that of a jeweled silver sword that shined in his hand. He considered shaping a dog helm like Erland had , since these barbarian types seemed to like that kind of stuff, but thought it would clash with his armor. Regardless if he had a furry helm or not, he knew he looked and sounded every bit like a conquering hero.

"Is there no one that will challenge the mighty Zax. No one that wishes to taste my blade! Muahhahaha !", cackled the tiefling. Zax thought the last bit was a bit over the top, even for himself. He saw that the griffon knights seemed to cringe when he started to laugh so he continued with what works.

"Muahhahaha ! ", the tiefling laughed again. Zax sensed that was the coup de grace and could almost see the flying chicken knights flee before him.

Suddenly a massive beast, seemingly half griffon half dragon leaped between the tiefling and the knights. Atop the beast was an old man in ancient armor. Zax vaguely recalled seeing him at the great council, a Champion Stinkcloud or something. Zax wondered if he was named thus because he needed more fiber in his diet. The old often had a need to remain regular, and foul gasses were often the result if they were negligent.

"At last ! A worthy foe has presented himself ! ", stated Stinkcloud.

"You are known to the Captain of the Acheron, am I not correct? ", note the Griffon Lord. He motioned behind him, and a red haired elf in a low cut black and white outfit appeared. "She has been diligent enough to teleport to my location. I've been informed personally by Captain Blaze that our beloved Griffons will be on the way. It would be a simple matter to retreat and come back with the full force of my winged cohorts, but I like the challenge that has presented itself to me. "

"We will settle this in the old way. Before the orders , when were nothing but savage tribesman. No dueling , no ritual combat, just a simple show of force, to see who possesses the most power. ", smiled the Griffon Champion. He then turned and addressed Captain Blaze. "My dear captain, since you are not a part of my order, you do not need to concern yourself with this little brawl. However, we have two wayward giants in the area. Please secure them to the Acheron while we handle this trash. "

Captain Blaze nodded and uttered a few words. Her body lifted itself slightly in the air, before she flew off in pursuit of her prey.

"Now….let us begin this contest. ", declared the Griffon Champion as he drew his saber . As one the knights roared and rushed their foes . All thoughts of flight were replaced by fear of their leader.

Zax's allies shouted in return and engaged their foe. The group quickly matched off against the attacking knights, knowing full well it would most likely be their final battle. Chins with his spear lead the charge followed, closely by Nymph and Isula, the rest of the tiefling's allies followed behind, all ready to battle to the death.

Zax of course had already hopped on his loyal steed Bucky and was swiftly riding away for his life.

* * *

><p>Prince Frostreaver hobbled down the glacier while he supported his sister Isula. He wasn't sure how they escaped, but was sure to make the most of it. He half suspected it was some form of human mind game, to offer them a chance of escape before snatching it cruelly from them. Regardless of the reason for their escape , the giant prince was sure to make the best of it.<p>

The creature that freed him and his sister had restored a bit of their vitality and for that he was thankful. Though she looked human, Frostreaver knew she was something else. Something abyssal in nature he guessed, maybe an alu demon but more likely a cambion or half fiend of some sort. Certain sects of giants were known to worship the demon Kostchtchie, but it was not a widely spread practice in Frosthaven. Some of the smaller independent clans outside the great city were more inclined to indulge in demon worship, but his father King Frostreaver the twelfth had discouraged its practice in the capital. It was a destructive sect with few redeeming features outside of battle, but Prince Frostreaver now had second thoughts about it. Perhaps the reason for their freedom was a demon sent by Kostchtchie himself.

The creature had treated his sister and himself with kindness , and it appeared to have enabled them to escape. Through the blizzard he saw she had transformed herself into a giant and had lead most of their pursuers away. It didn't seem to fit the cult of Kostchtchie's pattern of destruction, but it did grant them freedom, however temporary.

Prince Frostreaver knew that the blizzard had vanished because it had been a day since his sister last activated the Aaapallo Myrskyjen. The orb's control over the weather was absolute, but the Prince knew it would return swiftly to normal weather patterns if it was "disengaged", so to speak. Frostreaver was torn about the change of the weather. The clearing of the sky meant that there was a chance that the elementals would fail in releasing Ogremoch, but it also meant that the humans would have an easier time to track his sister and himself.

He looked at his sister Isula and she looked terrible. Despite the demonic woman's restorations she was the last to use the orb and suffered its effects the greatest. The pair could barely activate the Jotun relics. He regretfully admitted that the magic in their blood was weak, and they could only activate the items with the greatest of effort and will. His father, King Frostreaver, could employ them easier than he could, but he was old and there was not much life left in him. Prince Frostreaver knew that the golden age of giants were over, there hadn't been a giant that could use the relics for several generations. It was said that his father's sister could harness its power, but she was banished and most likely long dead. A victim of the blood sport called politics that was played amongst the nobility of his people. Frostreaver wondered if he could banish his own sister like his father if it came to seizing power. Could he be decisive and ruthless enough to do it?

As the prince and his sister ran , suddenly a wall of fire sprang forth and surrounded the pair. No heat scorched the pair but the prince knew it was meant more as a trap then an attack. The prince was well trained in magic even though his ability to cast spells was limited, he knew if he attempted to escape this ring he vulnerable skin would be burn and crisp.

"Ahh, such easy prey to catch . ", laughed a red haired woman floating above them.

Frostreaver noted it was some sort of southern variation of elf . In the old days when they commonly raided inland, elves were considered prized captives because of their ability to manipulate magic. Frostreaver scoffed at the irony, since now he and his sister were now the captives. The giant slammed his fist into the ground and broke a chunk of ice off. He easily hefted it up and threw it at their attacker.

The elf calmly avoided the blow and unleashed a bolt of lightning at the pair. Isula collapsed with a scream , while Frostreaver stumbled back and fell on his back. The giant prince shuddered involuntarily as the electricity scrambled his nerves.

"Try that again and I'll use fire next time. ", warned the elf. " Don't worry I won't return you to the griffon. I'll take you two as my own prisoner. Felwind told me that he needs you captured. The old fool actually trusts me to honor our deal. Normally I would, but a sudden opportunity has presented itself to me. I've done my research and the legends hint that he requires noble blood to activate the orb. I admit I'm a mercenary at heart, and I see that whatever he was paying me before could easily be doubled if I possess what he seeks. Of course I won't make it obvious that I have you, not at first. Now his troops are off my ship, I can return you two there and sail off. I'll negotiate with him when he's truly desperate . So be a dear and surrender peacefully, else I'll make your captivity under the Griffon seem like a holiday. ", she threatened.

Frostreaver met the elf's eyes and knew she was serious. She had a cruel, arrogant look that reminded him of a Snowlion playing with its prey. He looked at his sister, and wondered if he had the strength and more importantly the will to end her life and his. He considered it for a moment, then felt the crushing weight of cowardice weigh him down. There was no future for them now, only a life of servitude under either the militant Griffon knights or this cruel elf. He surrendered to the elf in shame and despair.

* * *

><p>"You don't have to hold my waist so tight. " ,complained Frank to Erland. The pair were soaring overhead the frozen wasteland atop the golden dragon Molly, while Surry and Hero were leaping through the heavens on the massive destrier Pixietrampler. The three Champions and the Treekeeper had taken to the sky to better track the orb of storms, and to avoid any dangerous log covered chasms.<p>

"Sorry…I'm more use to horses. Aerial mounts are not my specialty. ", apologized Erland , wistfully recalling his ride on Pixietrampler and how its rider never complained about his firm grip.

"Like you could of pulled rank on Hero you know. You could be riding with Surry and I get Hero spooning me right now. She's pretty damn sexy even if she already had a kid ..did you know she had a kid? I mean not an ounce of fat on her , except where it counts. ", commented Frank as he scanned the ground below.

Erland looked at Frank in surprise. His skill at battle was beyond questioning, but his brain did not seem quite there. The champion wondered if he took one too many blows to the head. " Yes…she has a child named Eagle, and she's also married. To an innkeeper , I believe. ", shrugged Erland.

"Whoa really? She's married to some wussy domestic type? I bet he's one of those Mr. Mom types that shrieks at the first sign of danger. I wouldn't have guessed she hooked up with someone like that. If she was a bit chunkier , I could see her marrying for free food and drinks, but she has that fitness model, body builder type body. Everything about her is pretty stacked if you know what I mean. ", commented the Crab Champion.

"You realize she can change into a giant boar, or more often a hybrid boar woman. The savage blood is strong in her, as strong as any warrior in the north. Of all the major Champions, she has the most obscure background, but I suspect she might be distantly related to Zalthar the Slayer. ", noted Erland as he referred to the previous Champion of the Boar.

"Boar woman? Hmmm I vaguely recall something like that. I fought at her side once at the battle of Almarth but my head was smacked around pretty good. I can't remember if she pigged out or not …Just so you know, I draw the line at having sex with animal chicks. Unless of course they are cute cat girls, bunny girls…hmm perhaps fox women ..kitsooey or something like that. ", pondered Frank.

"There are various forms of Fox folk, some are quite malevolent. I suspect the type you are referring to are the Kitsune. ", noted an echoing elven voice.

"Does he always chatter like this , Lady Galatea?", asked Erland , ignoring Frank and directly talking to the silvery blade at his side.

"Sadly yes. He is easily motivated , but more often distracted, by comely members of the opposite sex. I'm surprised you elected such a simple fool as Champion of the Crab. ", noted the voice again.

"I agree. I'm having second thoughts as well. ", agreed the Grand Champion.

"Hey….no take backs! You can't strip my title! Besides, I've been watching you. You have the hots for a certain anorexic half elf . Don't tell me your decision making hasn't been affected by her . I mean you could have taken Champion Fleur instead of Surry on this little quest, if you wanted arcane mastery. I've known Surry for as long as anyone, and I can respect her power, but she's still an outsider. You chose her cuz she's your little honey right? That's cool with me though, I'm just surprised you aren't riding with her . ", smirked Frank.

Erland sighed, " An astute observation. You don't need to worry though; I believe our relationship has been abruptly halted. Our pasts have been revealed to us, and only conflict shall arise if we continue our clearly obvious affair. "

Frank shook his head. "Hey don't knock Surry. Sure she's conflict incarnate, everyone knows that. She's a bit of a shrew, harpy, and can be a know it all bitch sometimes…err most of the time, but she's loyal to the end. She stood side by side with us when we took on the Avatar of Myleka underneath Lower Lueders. So what if you guys have problems , it'll work out. ", noted the Crab Champion in his best impression of a sagely voice. "She also has a really hot mom. ", added Frank.

"You do realize , not only do I have a wife, but my marriage ties several factions of the Squirrel together. Without my politically motivated marriage, civil war will break out in my Order. ", spat Erland bitterly.

"Ooohh…sorry, that's a tough one. ", winced Frank. "...but let me repeat. She has a really hot single mom, if it doesn't work out with Surry maybe you can score some points with her if you play your cards right. "

Erland gave Frank a disdainful look , but then sensed something odd in the air. The Grand Champion scanned the horizon and noted an army of elementals advancing on the icebridge. It appeared that they were coming from the direction of the Giant city of Frosthaven and were marching relentlessly over the icebridge and towards the glaciers that composed the iceberg of Ogremoch. Erland did not know their purpose , but he saw an opportunity that presented itself.

"Wow, that's a lot of rockmen. Do you think they have the orb, or do you think they are headed towards the orb? ", asked Frank , impressed by the sight of the stone army.

Erland did not know. He appraised the situation quickly , then he signaled to Surry and Hero to follow. He scanned the terrain below before he pointed to a spot ahead of the elemental army on the icebridge. "That way, we will first intercept them , afterwards we'll teach them the meaning of battle in the north. ", snarled the Grand Champion in a twisted grin. He might not have been good with women, but he was a master of war.

* * *

><p>"Keep firing! ", declared Captain Magnus. He grimaced in pain from the cruel talon that had rended his shoulder.<p>

A volley of Dragon golems fired from the hull of the Republic. The devastating volley only struck one Griffon, but easily turned it into bloody mist.

The battle had not gone according to plan. The initial volley from the Dragon Golems had scattered the Griffons, but they soon reformed and began swarming the Imperial. They swooped and dove in evasive patterns making them hard to hit with crossbow or dragon golem. The beasts were much more vicious then the ones he had engaged before, and seemed well suited to close quarter battle.

"Ahhhhh!"

Magnus saw a marine scream as a Griffon dragged him over the side of the ship. The deck aboard the nautoloid shaped vessel was smaller than most skyships, but it still did not impede the Griffon's attacks. Even the heavy armor of the hull seemed no match for the metal tipped talons of their feathered foes.

Another Griffon dived at the Captain , and Magnus barely managed to roll away. He dropped his crossbow and drew his rapier as he attempted to futilely drive the beast back. His blows were swift but the Griffon ignored them as he raked him across the chest with his claw. Magnus ignored the pain and lunged forwards with his sword, skewering the leg of the beast deeply. It was a lucky blow that slipped past the monster's heavy chain barding. The Griffon hopped back from the strike and shrieked a battle cry at the Captain. The force of the scream drove Magnus backwards and he fell to his side . Despite his precarious prone position he prepared another blow against the monster. Before it could strike the Griffon reared backwards, flapping its wings in a frenzy. The captain thought it would lunge at him, but it suddenly fell onto the deck in a heap, blood gushing from the back of its neck.

Magnus took a deep breath and scanned for his savior. A nondescript man calmly walked over the Griffon. He wiped his bloody dagger on the beast's feathers while he extended a hand to help the captain up. "Get up sir, there's more birds to kill. ", spoke the man calmly.


	69. Chapter 69

Sarin rushed forward while shouting a deafening war cry. With spear in hand, the half elf stabbed a knight that stood in his path. The knight had his shield ready and met the weapon head on, but the spear proved irresistible in power. The weapon sundered shield, armor, flesh and bone as the paladin deeply impaled his foe.

Two more Griffon Knights rushed to flank the half elf, confident that their ally had inadvertently trapped his spear with his death. The large paladin simply placed his heavy boot on the corpse snagging his weapon and pushed the body away. He then changed his grip on his spear and held it near the middle, similar to a staff. He battered one of his opponents in the head with the base of his spear, and swept the tip of the weapon at the other's leg. His speed and power knocked one silly and neatly sliced the other's calf. The battered knight fell backwards stunned, while his hobbled ally fell to his knees. Sarin took a step back, and changed his grip again to a more traditional hold, and simply jabbed the weapon at the injured kneeling knight. The spear caught his crippled opponent in the throat and exited with a shower of blood.

A tall lean knight clapped at the half elf's small victory, "Oh…very good. I don't know how you got here, but you are the abomination I sought in Grom City weren't you?".

Sarin gave the man a puzzled look as he readied his spear again. "Excuse me? ..and you are? ".

The lean knight laughed at the paladin. "I am Prince Stormfeather. I am now positive you are Sarin, grandson of the Warmaster . We literally tore the city apart to capture you, but somehow you managed to escape us. ", noted the prince. " I thought the entire plan was rather silly myself, but Pops and his seers always seem to get their way. ", he sighed.

"You rampaged and murdered the citizenry of Grom City, seperated me from my charge, almost killed Isula , all because you harbored some grudge against me? This is unforgivable! ", growled Sarin .

"Your concerns matter little to me. You caused me a great deal of trouble with your escape Zug folk, and such resistance must be punished. ",noted the Griffon Prince darkly.

"Zug Folk?", asked Sarin with a raised eyebrow. "You can't call me that, that's our word! "

The half elf waited for a reply, but the Griffon Prince vanished before his eyes. Sarin blinked in surprise but caught a flash of steel in his peripheral vision.

* * *

><p>Nymk easily dodged the knights that had charged her. A simple jump and a twist in the air brought the swords woman behind her hapless foes. She slashed backwards in a fluid motion with her scimitar and sliced the side of one of her opponents. It was a light wound, but it was enough to bring the man stumbling to the ice. The swords woman could have finished her wounded opponent but instead spun away from her attackers . Nymk had spotted her prey and she would not be denied. The swords woman lunged at her hated rival with her blade, but her opponent met her fiercely with mace and shield.<p>

"I didn't expect to see you here, let alone alive. ", challenged Princess Lionsong. "If I recalled I left you bound at the edge of the Bloodwoods. Apparently you are an ungrateful recipient of my endless mercy. "

Nymk gave two quick slashes at her taller opponent. A telegraphed swing to the Princess's head and a more hidden strike at her ankle. Lionsong saw through the feint and easily side stepped the smaller woman's offensive. The Princess counter attacked with a wide swing with her mace, which the swords woman calmly ducked under. Nymk then swiveled and lashed out with a straight kick . The swift attack connected with the larger woman and sent her staggering back.

Nymk expected another counter attack, but instead Lionsong swiftly shuffled backwards. The swords woman pursued her briefly but a pair of knights blocked her path. Nymk sized her new opponents and considered the fastest way to dispatch them. Before she struck a single blow, the swords woman noticed their Princess wave them away.

"Follow me if you dare my little hawk. ", taunted Lionsong as she attempted to lure Nymk further and further away from the battle.

Nymk glanced at her comrades and noticed them locked in battle, she wondered if she could abandon her comrades so easily just to take a shot at revenge.

The Griffon Princess saw the indecision on the swords woman's face. Lionsong gave a half turn towards Nymk and showed off the black weapon strapped to her back. "Afraid you will lose more than your bow if you lose this time. ", mocked the large warrior woman.

Nymk tightened her grip on her scimitar. She knew the Griffon Princess was leading her into a trap, but she decided to take the risk. She knew their battle line would miss her presence, but taking out the Griffon Princess would be a great blow to their foes.

With a light leap the swords woman bounded through the frozen glacier after her hated opponent.

* * *

><p>"SMASH SNOW ANGEL! ", shouted the bestial Iceclaw. The monstrous Griffon knight hefted his over sized war mace and swung it at Isula. The miniature giant easily parried the blow, but the overpowering strength of the blow numbed her arm.<p>

Isula twisted away from the staggering strike and lashed out at the brute with her ornate spear. She easily slipped past his crude defenses and pierced the savage knight's heavy plate armor.

Iceclaw ignored the wound and casually brushed aside the spear. He swung his mace again but the giant decided to dodge instead of matching strength with the brutal warrior.

"Your strength compares well to the legendary Hrungner. You do your order proud. ", praised Isula as she avoided her foe's mace.

"Hrungner ? Hrungner? How you know me Hrungner?", puzzled the Iceclaw as he paused his offensive and rubbed his stomach.

"Hrungner is the giant, that was so strong and massive, that even in death he trapped his slayer . ", answered Isula calmly as she jabbed her spear into the Griffon Prince again.

Iceclaw gave her a puzzled look as the miniature giant's spear pierced his chest . The ancient weapon splintered his armor and drew blood as it embedded deeply past the brute's ribs. The savage simpleton continued his blank stare till suddenly his face grew a wide grin. " Me thought you said hungry. Har har….youse fooly me. Me stooped ! ", laughed the knight. He calmly plucked the spear out of his bleeding chest and yanked it from Isula's grasp.

The miniature giant looked in shock as her attacker overpowered even her great strength with casual ease. Despite being disarmed, the small giantess readied her magic. Though she preferred weapons over spells, Isula was well versed in both their use, and more importantly how to integrate the pair. She prepared to conjure a blade of ice , but was surprised when her spear was tossed back to her.

"Okay. Funny time over. Iceclaw smash small snow angel now.!", laughed the bleeding Prince, oblivious to his wounds.

* * *

><p>Squire Rollo was from a long line of noble warriors. When he was young, he thrilled to the tales of the chronicles of famous warriors. His Grandfather was a knight, his father was a knight, and Rollo had trained since he was a child to be a knight. His parents hired the best swordsman to tutor him , and he responded to their instruction well. Since he was from an unaffiliated house, Sir Tusk had took him in under the banner of the Boar. He fought many fierce battles at his lord's side before Tusk's eventual demise at the hands of the Griffon Prince Stormfeather. Rollo considered himself on the precipice of becoming a full fledged member of an exalted Order. He was skilled at arms, and he had a rare instinct with the blade.<p>

Despite his talents and his obvious desire for revenge, the young Squire found himself over matched by the Griffon Knights. He watched in awe as the Paladin Sarin swiftly defeated three of their opponents before facing off against their prince and despaired as he was barely able to survive the onslaught of a single foe. Rollo suspected the knights before him were members of the elite force known as the Windtalons, the Arbiter of Ice's personal cohort. The nameless warrior before him easily pressed the squire back and all Rollo could do was to parry defensively with his blade and shield.

The Griffon warrior readied his mace overhead and Rollo swiftly shifted his shield to block it. His opponent watched Rollo commit his defenses before stepping forward and battering the squire with his shield. Rollo stumbled back and tried to maintain his balance but found himself falling unceremoniously onto the ice. The squire knew he had to get back up quickly, being prone against seasoned foe meant death. He attempted to rise, but saw the knight swing his mace down on him. Rollo raised his shield to block while simultaneously kicking out with his leg. His foot caught his opponent in the knee and wobbled his foe even as the mace struck a glancing blow against his shield. Rollo took the opportunity and attempted to roll to the side and spring to his haunches. The young squire hoped his desperate attack bought him enough time to get back to his feet before the Griffon knight struck him with his mace again.

As Rollo sprang to the side , he saw his opponent reeling and clutching his back in pain. His elven compatriot Ogela had struck the man , dishonorably in the back and then shuffled to his side.

"That wasn't very sporting . What are the chronicles going to say about that? ", joked Rollo as he saw several more Griffon knights advance towards them.

"Just remember, the victors write the tales. The losers are just foot notes. ", replied the plain looking elf bluntly.

Rollo smiled at her witty wisdom and readied himself for the next attack.

* * *

><p>As a dwarf , Kirgi preferred his axes over his crossbow. His family belonged to a long line of warriors named Troll slayers, and they were typically specialized in melee. The smell of his enemies fear, and the touch of their hot blood on his face as he hacked them were quite invigorating to the dwarf. The crossbow didn't possess any of those thrills. It was satisfying to pop an opponent between the eyes or through the throat, but it lacked the bloody affirmation of a kill up close. Despite this, Kirgi knew his role in battle. That was to keep the enemy casters and missile troops under cover.<p>

If they were bunched up or out in the open, Petrus was more suited to seek them out. The Griffon bowmen and seers however were content to scramble behind cover and attack and assist obliquely. That of course suited Kirgi fine. Besides his high ground, he had a distinct advantage over the bowmen with his crossbow. He could pop up under relative safety and shoot, while his foes had to expose most of their body to fire. Even better was the fact that Kirgi could remain under cover and aim, while his foes were forced to release snap shots .

The enemy seers were also under similar restrictions. They weren't evokers or flashy spell casters like Petrus, they seem to rely more on enchantment and subtle confusion magic. Their big problem was that Kirgi like to pick them off and they were powerless to return fire against him. All dwarves were inherently magic resistant , and the fact he was under cover and more importantly armored gave him a distinct advantage over the robe wearing, out in the open , seers. After shooting one in the head , and another in the shoulder, the threat of his bolts sent most of those finger wagglers scurrying.

A normal crossbowman would be handicapped by the fact they took a long time to reload the crossbow, but that didn't hinder Kirgi at all. The dwarven ranger rapidly loaded and aimed his weapon as if he were a machine. A killing machine he noted happily to himself.

* * *

><p>Petrus was in his element.<p>

The summoner divided his foes with walls of stone and fire. He placed wards of stone skin on himself and his allies. He even unleashed a rain of poisonous frogs to disrupt the rear spell casting ranks of his foes.

As a summoner he was constantly compared to wizards and sorcerers. A well prepared wizard was much more deadly in a a magical duel or dispatching a specific target. A wizard's ability to customize his spells for the situation and his near infinite diversity of spells made him much more deadly in a controlled environment. A sorcerer on the other hand had greater reserves of power. Although they lacked the finesse of a wizard they defeated their opponents with the brute force of their greater magical assets at their beckon . They could easily out last a wizard in a contest of magical endurance.

A summoner on the other hand often fell into the uncomfortable middle ground between the two. They had limited abilities to alter their spells and lacked significant staying powers in duels. However the thing that set them apart was their ability to mold and summon their eidolon. Fighting a competent summoner was akin to battling a wizard and some deadly planar monster at the same time.

Few eidolons matched Petrus's in power . While Petrus separated and scattered his foes, the ebon skin Adria systematically smashed and scattered the pockets of knights in the summoner's wake. The eidolon had grown to the size of a giant, and was adorned in bronze armor. Lightning and thunder radiated from her fists as she pulverized her foes . Petrus noted that she resembled a legendary Marut, the Inevitable bringers of death to those that would not die. Petrus wondered if he subconsciously molded his servant into a Marut, or if this was the eidolon's true form. As his ability as a summoner grew greater he found himself capable of manipulating the aether to grow exponentially Adria as well. Did he form Adria to her current form, or did she subtly pushed him to unleash her in this form?

"Most summoners don't name their eidolons or have conversations with them as well. ", noted Adria to his unspoken question as she smashed a knight who futilely tried to attack her with his mace.

Petrus considered her statement as he invoked a wall of wind to deflect some incoming arrows. "Are you saying I am mad, and you are a product of my madness? Are the conversations I have with you simply an extension of my subconscious ? Am I literally talking to myself? ", he asked out in the open .

Adria grabbed the knight she had previously smashed and shocked and blasted his body with thunder and lightning. The warrior grew limp in her grasp as she tossed him through one of Petrus's flaming barriers. " I don't know about the talking to yourself part, but I definitely agree with the "you are mad" part. "

* * *

><p>Halvor swung his axe wildly at the warrior before him. The veteran warrior calmly defected the blow with his shield and swung his mace expertly at the big knight. The weapon battered Halvor in the ribs, and the big knight scrambled back. He knew he was outmatched by his foe, but he regretted nothing.<p>

Halvor and Kirgi had inadvertently stumbled onto a sizable group of knights that were pursuing a lone woman. Halvor's natural chivalry and Kirgi's hatred for the Griffon warriors spurred the pair to intervene on her behalf. Though outnumbered, that didn't seem to matter to the pair, as they had crossed blades with them before. The initial attack went well, but they had seriously misjudged the number of foes in the area. It soon appeared that they would be overwhelmed when suddenly their old friend and business partner Zax appeared . Halvor couldn't comprehend how Zax arrived, but was even more shocked to find that Sharliss was the woman he had rescued. She looked much older, and mature than a few months ago, but she still retained all her charming beauty. Did she travel through the infamous time mists, or was it her inevitable and tragic trait of aging rapidly?

The mace swung again, but Halvor managed a feeble block with his axe. The weapon was more useful to attack then to defend, but it was still able to by the big knight a little breathing room against his veteran foe. He felt reassured that he was still between the warrior and Sharliss.

"Give up boy, this isn't your fight. You are no match for Sir Jurgen. Is your life worth dying for this fiend blooded whore?", mocked the Griffon veteran .

Halvor began a weak retort but suddenly Sir Jurgen was atop of him. The cunning warrior seized the big knight's slight delay and rushed to close the distance between them. The great axe was better at moderate combat range then the mace, but up close it was almost useless against a close quarter opponent. Jurgen rammed his mace into Halvor's gut and the pain caused him to drop his weapon. Halvor futilely attempted to punch the man, but a simple deflection and a swift stroke to his head sent the big knight crashing to the ground.

Jurgen wasted no time on witty comments or taunts as he raised his mace to finish his foe.

* * *

><p>Captain Blaze descended on the helpless giants, but suddenly dodged to the left as a bolt of lightning streaked by her. The nimble elven Captain felt the hair on her skin stand up as she barely managed to evade the electrical strike.<p>

"I don't know why you are working for the Griffon , but stay away. ", warned an elven voice.

Captain Blaze weaved a shield as she rotated to face her new foe. As the Captain turned , she stopped at who she saw. "By Correllon ! It's Zax's little pet! The elf with no pride. Hahaha!" , laughed the infamous Elven Privateer.

"Run along back to your master , little elf. He's not here to save you when you have your little jealous tantrums. Go to his side, he needs a consolation prize to provide him with succor after the thrashing him and his pathetic band are about to get. ", snickered Blaze.

The Captain saw her opponent's pale skin grow red with anger and envy, and why shouldn't she? In all aspects Blaze thought herself superior to this homely specimen of their race. To even include this elf as the same species as herself was a disservice to all elves she thought. In terms of appearance they were slightly the same height , but that was about where the similarity ended. Blaze had a rich vibrant golden skin , while her foe's skin was pale and lifeless. Blaze's hair was the color of her name a fiery seductive red and was long and whipped majestically in the wind, while the elf in front of her had a literally dull grey green mane that lacked even a bright sheen cut in the style befitting a page. While the Captain had a soft body gifted with alluring curves, this elf's body was more like a man's with the barest hint of breasts. It was like comparing a swan with a pigeon.

"Are you still here? Do you actually think you can match me in sword or spell?", inquired the Captain playfully. "I am a master duelist and accomplished wizard, challenge me if you dare. "

"Leave those giants alone.", warned Zax's servant again.

"Your stubbornness is motivated by jealousy isn't it? Dirwin…Darwen is it? I won't get into my beauty since that is plainly obvious. ", mocked the Captain as she pirouetted in the air.

"It might be by my success is it not? I take it by your uniform you are a lowly sergeant in the Grom Army, a laughable organization at best. While I am the Captain of not only my own ship, but the mighty Acheron , one of the most powerful and unique vessels on the seven seas.", commented Blaze.

"Perhaps you are envious of my ambition. I am about to become the most powerful elf in the world. Even without the orb of storms, I will be able to leverage whatever I want from the Order of the Griffon. While you are just a student, not even a squire to the misguided Zax. Such lack of desire , such lack of drive. I see you have some talent in magic, but I also know you are afraid to follow it. I'm almost ashamed to be the same race as you. ", taunted the Captain.

The elf named Darwen remained resolute and did not crack under Blaze's insults. The captain thought it almost cute the way she thought she could have any chance to best her. She stared deep into her trivial foe's eyes and then her weakness dawned on her. The Captain let loose a light laught. "By Correllon, I see now. You aren't jealous of me, you're jealous of my charms. You are enamored with your master and you think I will take him away from you. Dear silly, stupid girl, what makes you think your master gives a crap about you. You're nothing to him, you're just his exotic arm candy , maybe a little tail to relieve his stress once in awhile. If you are jealous of the affections he showed me on the Acheron, then I have bad news for you sister. He'll drop you like a hot potato and leave you in the dust like you deserve whenever any woman of quality comes his way. To a great man like him, you are nothing but a plaything , a toy. Just look at yourself, even amongst the humans you barely stand out. You will never be anything to him except a lewd distraction. Drop your foolish delusional ambitions now my dear, they will only get you killed….or worse. ", laughed the Captain.

Darwen's anger faded and it was her turn to laugh. " First off bitch, I don't want anything that you have. Your taunts might have affected me a few weeks ago, but I know better now. Hearing your mistaken comments about Zax and my relationship just proves how pathetic you really are. You are nothing more than a self-absorbed debutante that has a bloated sense of entitlement. You feed off others misery to make your miserable self feel better. Now if you're done with your little girl clique put downs, ready your blade and prepare your spells."

* * *

><p>Zax didn't want to run, but he saw Darwen fly away and thought now was as good as time as any to flee. Fighting a couple of Griffon knights was one thing, but a whole army was quite another. He figured there were at least a hundred maybe two hundred of them . He had enough trouble battling one Sir Cheatface, how was he gonna fight the whole lot of them. Even more intimidating was that the scary old Champion StinkCloud or whatever his name was , was with them. The dude was a Champion of the North, that meant he was roughly equal to the Squirrel guy or that mouthy guy with the talking sword.<p>

Zax thought it could still work out. The sky was clear now. He could signal the Imperial and get a ride out of there. The Griffon Knights had none of their mounts save one, it would be an easy task to sail back to Grom City. He would be reprimanded of course, but that was a hell of a lot better than being chopped up by that Champion StinkCloud. Darwen was zipping around in flight, she could fly to the ship. The other's….well nothing could be done for them.

His companions were good fighters but none could match up to a Champion of the North , let alone the knights that he surrounded himself with. Hal, Kirgi , Petrus, Adria, Chins, Tiny Giant Girl, Nymph, the catwoman, Sharliss, even his two new squires Rolly and Ogela were no match for the foes they faced. They were body guards , maids and caravan guards for Koryis's sake, not hardened warriors. Zax tried to scare them off with his bluster and oratory skills but when that failed it was time to run. The tiefling knew he was useless in a fight, his only ability was to talk. Even against that weird octo tento critter , the half goof ball , Zax knew his best chance was to initiate a conversation. When that opportunity had passed , then the tiefling knew retreat was the only option.

If the numbers were more evenly matched he might have stayed around and seek cover behind his companions, but outnumbered as they were , the tiefling knew a few would slip past and come at him. In fact it was quite likely quite a few would directly take a shot at him. He was a champion and royal adventurer after all, nothing like popping a big name like him to elevate some no name underling to the big leagues in the villain game. Zax wanted no part of that, no way was he going to run around with a target on him . The others could fight, while he rode swiftly away on his pony. If anything, their sacrifice might give him a chance to escape.

As the last thought crossed his mind, Zax pulled the reigns of Bucky and stopped. "My god….I'm nothing but a giant coward. I'm just like a small useless child running away from spooky circus clowns. I'm willing to risk all my friends to save my miserable hide. I've laughed, drank, bled, and even traveled with these guys in the last few months, and they mean nothing to me , except acting like a speed bump for my foes. A few of them are even here because they wanted to help me rescue Sharliss, and I abandon them at first sign of trouble .I thought I was over this, I thought I resolved to change my ways after Fortress Grom, but I'm still nothing but a miserable good for nothing coward. ", whispered Zax to himself.

The tiefling looked at the banner of the furry dog, and the royal Adventurers cloak he wore. They were nothing but fake badges of his fake reputation . Everything about him was fake, from his non-existent skill with the blade to his false heroic fame . Zax shuddered as he realized he was about to abandon all his friends and possibly even Darwen to the Griffon knights. Here at the edge of nowhere, with possibly the world at stake, he was still willing to attempt to run and save his life.

Zax thought about this , then reluctantly turned his pony around. There would be no place to run if the Griffon won the day. Everyone would be in danger. The least he could do would be to stand and die with his friends. The thought sent shivers down his spine, but the thought of leaving them to die in cold blood was an even worse thought.

"If I'm going to die, at least let me do so with some dignity. ", whispered Zax again as he directed Bucky back to the battle.

"A perfect place for a battle! ", declared a dry crisp voice suddenly.

Zax looked up , and saw the Champion of the Griffon sitting atop his draconic feathered war beast hovering high above him.

"You were riding for so long , for a second I thought you were attempting to flee. However , just as I guessed you wish to battle me , Champion to Champion , away from prying eyes and interfering minions. This is a good as spot as any ,Champion Zax. Prepare for death! ", roared Champion StinkCloud as he and his mount swooped towards the surprised Tiefling.


	70. Chapter 70

Earl rolled forwards and barely managed to duck a razor sharp claw. Despite his skill he barely managed to stay ahead of these fierce eagle lion hybrids. The ex-assassin had fought griffons before, but not the very finest of the Griffon pride. He guessed they were the mounts of the upper echelon of Griffon Knights, possibly even the Windtalons.

Earl scanned the small battle deck of the Imperial and noted that most of the marines were slain. Their initial broadside was quite successful but afterwards, the Order of the Griffon's numbers and their ferocity easily over powered Grommish resistance. What should have been an exercise of tactical maneuvering and judicious use of the skyship's impressive weapon arcs degenerated into a desperate hand to hand battle to the death.

The assassin swept his sword in a wide arc ensuring he had some maneuver room, and when satisfied that he did , he swiftly aimed and let loose a dagger . The small blade unerringly found its mark in a riderless griffon's eyes and the beast was sent squawking away. Before the ex-assassin could press his advantage, a griffon with a rider swooped down on him. Earl had enough time to throw another dagger, but that was his last one. He readied to parry the creature though he was more suited in a battle against an unsuspecting foe, or ambushes from the shadows. Despite his skill with the blade, the Griffons were too strong and large for him to engage in a heads up fight.

The ex-assassin adopted a simple wounded limp as his foe closed. The Griffon and its rider took the easy bait and attempted to strike him at his wounded. Earl swiftly turned the tables on them by unleashing two quick slashes with his sword. The first slashed the Griffon's throat , but its barding turned his blade, while the second clipped the rider's arm , forcing him to drop his mace. The ex-assassin then stepped into the surprise pair and drove his off hand parrying blade through the Griffon's chin. The precise strike slipped past its armored head plates and the monster recoiled backwards. Its rider struggled futilely to control it before the beast realized it was dead and fell off the ship's side.

Earl took the brief respite to catch his breath but then heard a loud bell aboard the bridge of the vessel. The duelist recalled it as a signal of some sort, either they were about to enter a sudden dive or a rapid ascent , was all he could recall. He guessed Magnus or whoever was still alive decided evasive maneuvers were the best course of action so he twisted his hand around a length of rope to secure his position. Earl thought they were lucky that most of the griffons were not mounted. If they had been so, their ship would have been swiftly boarded and captured. The ex-assassin assumed that the small amount of riders with this huge flock of griffons were meant to guide the beasts to the main Griffon force. Earl could not recall seeing a signal , and wondered if they were communicating by magic of some sort.

Before the duelist could contemplate the enemy's maneuvers the shell shaped skyship engaged in a rapid descent. Most of the Griffon's scattered as it fell, but a mounted one was unlucky as it clipped the hull of vessel. The beast spun around in mid air and was struck full on to a protruding mast. Although the Imperial required much less ropes and sails then other skyships, Earl saw the rider entangle himself into the rigging of the vessel. Despite the danger of releasing his hold, the nimble ex-assassin rappelled across the descending vessel and freed the entangled man. The knight was still stunned from the impact, and Earl hastened him into the darkness with a well placed pommel strike to the head. He had hoped to lash the man to the hull and question him later, but in his haste his blow cracked his head open.

Earl sighed as the Imperial continued its plummet from the heavens. "At least they are off our backs...for now. ", he thought as they left the Griffon pride.

* * *

><p>Erland and Frank glided over the elemental army. The Grand Champion was shocked at how many foes were below them. At least one hundred thousand giants made of stone and earth plodded methodically on the ice bridge. The Squirrel lord signaled to Frank to land near the middle of the bridge and waved Surry to follow them.<p>

Erland saw Surry nodded and noted her face was an unreadable blank. He cursed himself quietly as he realized how much he had wronged her. If he had meant anything to her , as she did to him, it was a devastating blow. To have the love of your life seemingly forget and replace you would be crippling.

Erland recalled how this cosmic joke came to be. He had left his homeland under the guise of a common mercenary to see the world. He did not want special treatment and knew as a Prince of the House of the Emerald Squirrel he would be treated with nothing but privileged if he was up in the north. He traveled south to Grom where he signed up as a warrior against the terrible humanoid raiders of the Shattered Mountains. It was a grim but eye opening campaign that saw him test his mettle against a host of barbaric monsters. Everything had gone according to his loose plan till he met the young Syr. She was neither pretty or fair, but she possessed a deadly shot and a sharp tongue. More importantly she was loyal to the core and the pair seemed to find in each other a kindred spirit. In the end though , the campaign against the humanoids had gone awry. He abandoned his relatively safe post when he heard a large band of ogres were targeting the refugees that Surry's band of mercenaries were guarding. It was a bloody fight where he almost died, but in the end , they were victorious. After he recovered from his wounds, he attempted to find his lover's fate, but to no avail. No survivors was what the record showed. It broke his heart , but in the end he returned north to accept his royal Fate.

"Erland buddy…pay attention. You're daydreaming there. ", noted Frank as they hovered above the middle of the massive ice bridge. In parts it was several hundred feet wide and nearly 20 feet tall above the water. Erland guessed at least three quarters of it still remained underwater.

"So you want us to destroy the bridge right? ", asked Frank.

Erland shook his head and continued scanning the bridge. He noted a narrow section only roughly 100 feet in width and signaled his band to land there.

"With my depleted magic I can't destroy this section Snappy. ", commented Surry. Erland noted the strain in her voice as she attempted to ignore what had transpired between them.

"Even with the Axe of the Boar, it would take me a week to shatter this bridge. ", noted Hero as she fingered her weapon, an axe of pure adamant that was famed for felling giants and dragons.

Erland shook his head and stomped his foot onto the ice. "We won't be targeting the brigde, this is where we make our stand. ", he said with a grin.

Frank started to mentally count in his head. "So …that's like 25,000 for each of us? 20,000 if you include Molly here ?"

Erland nodded and readied his axe.

"Perfect ! ", smiled the Crab Champion, he then drew his blade and seemed to talk directly to it. "and that , Galatea, is why he's the boss. "

* * *

><p>Sarin barely slid out of the way of the slashing great sword. The large paladin slid forward to dodge the slash and almost toppled over from the effort . With one arm on his spear and the other waving comically the half elf fore stalled his fall.<p>

The Griffon Prince was not idle, he easily reversed the momentum of his long blade and jabbed it forwards like a crude spear. The second attack was swift and sudden , but was easier than the first to avoid. Sarin saw the attack and batted it effortlessly with his armored fore arm. It was a dangerous maneuver , which could have easily resulted in the paladin losing a limb, but the half elf's timing was impeccable.

"That all you got ?", Sarin asked. "I journeyed all the way from Lower Lueders via Grom City and this is what you bring? ", chortled the large paladin.

Stormfeather relaxed the grip on his great sword and brought it to his side. Without effort he slammed the weapon into the ground. The weapon embedded itself effortlessly into the ice.

"Forgive me. I underestimated your speed. An easy enough thing to do considering your typical Zug folk frame. ", bowed the Griffon Prince as he drew a blue steel rapier with a silver swirl swept hilt.

"Zug Folk? You used that word again. ", spat Sarin distastefully. The half elf had rarely encountered the light blade among the northern people, two handed weapons as well as heavy blades and maces were most common. The rapier was often associated with the soft milk drinking countries like Grom and Darokin.

Instead of replying, Stormfeather darted towards the paladin with new blade in hand. Sarin saw his opportunity and used the superior reach of his spear to jab at the Prince. At the last moment the light weapons elaborate hilt deflected the spear's shaft slightly. Despite the half elf's great strength his weapon was budged slightly to the side while the rapier slid down the shaft and struck the half elf cleanly in the shoulder.

Sarin's was still wearing the armor given to him by Kania. It was strong while light, and had even protected him from heavy giant blows. The Griffon Prince's rapier however, slid through the ancient defense and drew a deep bleeding wound to the paladin.

"A spear? Really? Linel is the god of courage and the spear is his weapon, but he is in need of an upgrade. The rapier is fast, strong, and made for a master like myself to demonstrate his finesse in battle. ", bragged Stormfeather.

Sarin tuned out his chattering and attempted to jab at him with the spear again. This time the Griffon Prince simply weaved underneath the blow and shook his head.

"I didn't even need to parry that time. I assume from the way your comrades assembled on you, that you are the head man at arms for that Zax fellow . Am I correct? If so , I expect a bit more fight out of you, especially from a Zug Folk.", noted Stormfeather.

"Zug Folk? You used that word….again. It's starting to piss me off.", grumbled Sarin.

The half elf attempted a sweep at his opponent, but the quick Griffon Prince simply stepped out of the weapon's arc. Sarin watched in vain , as Stormfeather darted in during his swing, and lanced his chest with his rapier. Despite his control over his spear Sarin was not able to shift it to block in time. The paladin held his breath as he expected the blue steel weapon to penetrate his armor, but instead it simply slid down and raked his belly.

"Exquisite armor! Did you steal it? ", mocked the Griffon Prince. He elbowed the spear once again and stabbed his blade freely into Sarin's stomach. A lethal blow for most people, but Sarin thought his almost depleted reserve of healing magic might keep him alive .

"A shame. I struck you in the belly. A poor choice of target when battling a Zug folk.", jested Stormfeather as he danced away from the paladin's spear.

As Sarin took the time to think of a witty response. Stormfeather quickly spun around and lashed his blade several times at a large looming shadow. The shadow was inhumanly fast, but the Griffon Prince proved faster. Before Sarin knew it, the bestial form of Kania laid at his feet. A wide gash across her chest marred her unnatural beauty as her strength bled out.

"I'm sorry blessed of Arcturus. cough it was your fight, but I could not stand to watch. ", gasped the Lamia.

"Blessed of Arcturus? That's an unusual title. I will grant you a few more seconds to live if you tell me how he got that honor. ", stated Stormfeather with his trademark arrogant grin.

Kania attempted to knit her wounds but it was well beyond her magic. She looked at her bloodied hand and saw the death mask on Sarin. "He got that name ….for killing a god. ", she whispered with a proud smile before her eyes closed.

"Absurd!", laughed Stormfeather. He then resumed his combat stance with his blade at the ready. Sarin felt his fury rise , but he knew that anger would not win this battle. After the last few unsuccessful exchanges he realized he was against a master duelist. His rage and anger would be powerless against the Griffon Prince's skill and unnatural speed.

* * *

><p>Nymk pursued Lionsong through the frozen wastes. The swords woman was incredibly quick and thought she could overtake her taller foe soon. As she neared her prey , the Griffon Princess suddenly vanished.<p>

Nymk blinked , but suddenly through instinct leaped back and rolled to the side. As she tumbled wildly , she caught the glimpse of a mace swinging at where her stomach was. The swords woman quickly rolled into a crouch and saw Lionsong before her.

"Round 4 or Round 5? I lost track . ", chuckled the Griffon Princess. Nymk sized her enemy up. Her foe appeared vastly different from herself. Lionsong was tall with long dark hair and a muscular but still feminine look, while she was considered short with a simple blond page cut. Though her body was strong her muscles were not as pronounced or as intimidating as the towering Griffon Princess's.

"Only the petty keep score on rounds. I only care about who is the last one standing. ", hissed Nymk as she circled her larger foe. She saw her foe handle her mace easily with her right hand and circled counter clock wise to compensate. It would negate a few inches from her foe's reach and it might buy her a few precious seconds .

Lionsong eyed Nymk carefully then smiled. She calmly switched shield and mace in a single smooth motion and twirled and used her weapon expertly with her left hand. " Please, such simple tricks may work on the trash you spar with, but it won't work on me. ", scoffed the Griffon Princess.

Nymk grinned and tested the ice they were standing on. It was hard but slightly slippery still. Not enough to cause any danger of falling , if the right footwear was worn, but enough that it posed a constant if minor hazard. In a flash she ran towards the larger woman. Lionsong seemed unexpected for a direct assault, but readied her shield and mace to face her. At the last moment the swords woman fell to her knees and slid forwards . The Griffon Princess swung her mace but Nymk arched her back to be almost parallel with the ice. She managed to barely skate under the mace and was able to slash her scimitar at Lionsong's leg.

Despite being surprised, the Griffon managed to hop back to avoid a crippling blow, but did not leave unscathed. Nymk's curved blade managed to scored a deep wound to her lower leg that easily slid through the armor and leather guarding it. Blood splashed on the ground and Lionsong hobbled back wounded.

"A nice trick , but it won't work again. ", mocked Lionsong ignoring her pain.

Nymk twisted and scrambled to her feet . She rotated her body so she was now facing the Griffon Princess and darted towards her to press her advantage . She knew she had the disadvantage in reach and strength against her foe, and hoped that this unexpected attack would turn the tide of battle.

As the sword's woman closed , Lionsong stepped into her path and rammed her shield into Nymk's face. The swords woman managed to twist to avoid the brunt of the counter attack, but it still slammed heavily into her shoulder. She spun and tumbled to the ground , quickly regained her balance , and hopped up standing.

As Nymk preprared to swivel to face her enemy , she felt a deadly presence behind her. She thought about rolling forward but instead opted for a cartwheel to the side. The sound of splinter ice behind her told the swords woman her defensive ploy had worked. She rolled to a crouch once again and eyed her foe carefully.

"Since you are still with the abomination , I assume my earlier guess about your relationship is correct. ",teased Lionsong during the lull of battle.

"Am I to assume your relationship with your brother is correct as well. ", fired back Nymk as she prepared for a fierce counter attack.

To Nymk's surprise she saw Lionsong stand and calmly scan the surroundings. She then turned to face the swords woman and retrieved her trophy black bow with her shield hand. She held the weapon before her and stared at Nymk intently. "So much rage and venom from you. I know how to fix that though. ", she smiled as she planted the bow into the ground.

* * *

><p>Isula would have rather fought the brute in her cursed form. Against such hardened and numerically opposition, greater height would allow her foes to surround and gang up on her. However, after her humbling exchange with Iceclaw she saw no alternative but to enlarge herself. She hoped her greater size and strength would negate the savage's advantage in raw power.<p>

The dim witted knight before her gaped as she towered over him, but his dumbfounded look was soon replaced by one of excitement. "Giant! Me smash giant! ", he declared proudly.

Though Isula's reach was already greater than her foes, her increased size gave her even more strength then she had before. She kicked the charging Griffon Prince and the man was tossed before her might. She raised her spear and was prepared to skewer the fallen knight, but he quickly sprang back onto his feet and rushed her again.

Before she could regain her balance and boot him again, Iceclaw tackled her leg, specifically near the knee. Isula watched in astonishment as the ogre like brute managed to topple her over.

She twisted in an attempt to regain her balance, but only managed to fall on her side. The ground shook as she impacted the ice and Isula was briefly stunned by the blow. Though most of her life she had existed in this size, she was a bit amazed to find how ungainly she was when compared to her cursed form. As she contemplated her predicament, a strong blow belted her across the jaw.

"Stupid giant girl, Iceclaw strongest ! Iceclaw strongest! ", repeated the Griffon Prince as he pummeled her across the face.

The rough treatment she suffered infuriated Isula. She was being literally beaten to death by a human's fists. She rolled to the side and briefly escaped her tormentor's blows. She then swiftly summoned her magic and surrounded him with a wall of ice.

She felt a heavy strike at her back, and she instinctively elbowed an interfering knight that struck her. The man flew back from her blow, but Isula knew there would be more and quickly began weaving another spell.

She glanced at the circular icy prison and saw cracks had already begon to appear on it . It wouldn't hold Iceclaw long. She conjured an icestorm centered on the ice prison and then slammed her fist onto the ground. Great cracks appeared on the surface of the ground and she managed to lift and heft the biggest one she could. From where the cracks were appearing she guessed where the Griffon Prince was standing behind the barrier and hefted the boulder over the wall and into the icy maelstrom behind it, hoping she would crush the freakishly strong human.

With that done, she hopped back and summoned her spear to her hand. She saw no movement from her frozen prison so she readied to throw her weapon at a wayward knight instead. Before she could attack, a dark shadow briefly eclipsed her before she was struck on the head by a large slab of ice.

The cursed giant's world spun from the unexpected blow, she blinked and saw a frosted and bloodied Griffon Knight squatting at the top of the wall of ice. " Giant use sparkly stuff, make Iceclaw MAD! ", he roared as he leaped off his perch and onto Isula.

* * *

><p>Squire Rollo's arm dangled useless to his side. He had managed to block the Griffon knight's mace, but the force of the attack sundered his shield and arm . Despite the grievous injury he was surprised he felt little pain from his shattered appendage. Instead of wailing in agony he gripped his blade and calmly parried the knight's second swing.<p>

Sword met mace with a clang, and Rollo half expected his blade to shatter as well. The force of his attackers blow was mainly deflected instead of absorbed like the shield and the squire saw his opportunity. With trained precision, Rollo slid his blade along the haft of the weapon and managed to slice his foes fingers before he could release his weapon. The knight attempted to do the same, but the head of the mace was stopped by the hilt of his sword . The the hilt was dented from the blow it still managed to save his hand.

The wounded knight however dropped his weapon as a few of his digits fell away. Rollo pressed his advantage by slashing the man's chest . Though his weapon was turned by the knight's armor, it did stagger him back, exposing him to a killing thrust by Squire Ogela's blade.

"Good work Rollo. ", she said with an approving nod as she turned and faced another knight.

Rollo glowed with pride as he saw a hint of a smile in her face. He had seen his compatriot smile on the odd occasion before, but never towards him. His mind wandered as he thought about their growing relationship. Rollo admitted he had affections for the stern elf, but he never had the courage to confront her with them. With this battle he might have earned the right he thought.

"Look out ! ", barked Ogela . Rollo's attention focused back onto the battle just as a mace crushed his daydreaming face.

* * *

><p>Kirgi appraised several targets. He saw a lightly armored griffon warrior in the back under cover. There was a possibility he was one of those Griffon Seer he had been warned about. He also scanned a tall Griffon Warrior attacking two young boys that Zax apparently dragged along. One of them was on the ground clutching his face. The dwarf knew the importance of picking off the enemy casters but the shot wasn't clear and the boy was in danger. With practiced ease he adjusted his shot and fired a bolt at the tall warrior.<p>

The bolt struck the man cleanly in the chest and he staggered back from the blow. The first boy was still on the ground, but the other young boy or possibly elf exploited the injury and slashed at the tall warrior.

Satisfied with the result , Kirgi's eyes scanned the battlefield again before the melee played itself out. He wasn't sure, but it seemed that Adria and Petrus were the focus of the battle . Most of the Griffon warriors were centered on them. The ebon skin woman had always been quite distinctive, and the walls of fire were a signature spell from his deceased summoner friend. The dwarf wasn't sure how his old friend was brought back to life, but he hoped it was the case.

As the dwarf reloaded and readied another shot, the walls of fire flickered and suddenly vanished. He scanned at the man behind cover but didn't notice any change from him. The dwarf instead spotted a man materializing then chanting something and then quickly disappeared again. Kirgi grinned as he guessed what had just happened. Even though people often made fun of his wits, the dwarf was quite cunning on the battlefield. Kirgi surmised he was most likely hidden with an invisibility spell and had dropped it to target Petrus's or whoever it was, walls of fire. Most invisibility spells dropped if any aggressive action is taken, and the dwarf guessed that dispelling qualified. An odd restriction placed by the pacifist gods thought Kirgi.

The dwarf saw that a few of the archers that he was dueling with his crossbow had vanished. He assumed they were going to flank him and knew he should take care of them eventually , but he had a better target in mind . Though the dwarf could not see the seer, his sharp eyes spotted some foot prints in the snow that seemed to stop in mid track.

"Bad place to stand in the open. ", commented the dwarf to himself as he fired his crossbow.

The bolt streaked through the air , and embedded itself seemingly in mid air. Kirgi wasn't sure if it was a fatal wound or not, but the bolt suddenly lurched to the side and fell to the ground, with a small pool of blood congealing in the snow.

Kirgi was never big on stealth, and he whooped in the air . Besides the enemy leaders, the seer was likely the enemy's most important member.

"I wish Flippy was here to see this. I rule! Time to stop being the zero and be the hero! ", cheered the dwarf. "Lucky day , lucky day! ", he sang jubilantly.

A war cry interrupted the dwarf as he saw that two of the Griffon archers had indeed out flanked him. They had snuck behind the ice slab and were now charging his position. The Griffon skirmishers had drawn their great swords in favor of their bows and decided to rush the dwarf in melee. Kirgi noted that it was a smart plan, most crossbow men and archers were fairly vulnerable in melee . The Griffon Archers had apparently counted themselves as skilled in both , and decided to press their advantage.

Kirgi smiled as he dropped his crossbow and drew his paired war axes. Though his skills at the crossbow was considered his most lethal talent, the axes were by far his favored. "It really is my lucky day. ", he chirped as he rushed to meet his attackers.

* * *

><p>Petrus appraised the battlefield. They were outnumbered and worse, they weren't fighting as a team. It didn't really surprise the summoner since they were in effect separate groups. Though they all knew each other to some degree, they barely had time to coordinate their attacks. He saw Sarin engage with the Griffon Prince in a duel. He watched both Zax and Nymk lured off the battlefield by their foes. He even saw the normally tactical minded Sergeant Darwen leave the battle in pursuit of another elf. Though he guessed her reasons were more practical than to engage in a common duel with a hated foe. There was no sign of Kania, and Petrus assumed she had ran from the fight. Despite her comely appearance, she was after all more a wild beast then a hardened adventurer, it was only expected that she flee from a hopeless battle.<p>

Those that remained seemed to be beleaguered by their foe. Adria was holding her own with her new lightning and thunder fists , though that could suddenly change if more enemies concentrated fire on her. It appeared that the dwarf that looked like Kirgi had taken out their seer, but more could be hiding, and the dwarf's position appeared to have been over run. Assuming it was Kirgi, the knight that looked like Halvor was taking a beating by what appeared to be a senior warrior . Lady Sharliss seemed to be incapacitated and no help. Isula had assumed her natural form but was faring poorly against the big hulkish Griffon Knight. Petrus recalled it was the one that had crushed the mercenary they called Big Zax's head , and the summoner hoped some form of retribution was in order. Normal Zax's squires didn't seem to fare well either. They were being mauled but he noted that Kirgi managed to shoot one of their attackers before he himself was over run.

Petrus himself was at a disadvantage. His situation changed for the worse when the Griffon's seer had managed to dispel his protections. His walls of fire and rain clouds of toads had been disrupted and his enemies were free to use their superior numbers against him and his allies. As an arcane caster he knew he was a likely high priority target, but as a summoner he knew he was better prepared to handle them then most wizards. He readied his sword and buckler and trusted in his chain shirt.

A Knight spotted Petrus and rushed him with wild abandon . The summoner noted that his foe intended to finish him quickly , most likely to prevent him from weaving more magic or escaping. The summoner stood his ground, and relied on the instincts years of military discipline intoned in him. He deflected the powerful mace strike with his shield and fell back to disperse the force. The summoner noted the knight looked shocked when the shield he struck was not cracked open or broken. Petrus seized the brief moment of confusion and returned a short stab with his blade. The knight's armor should have stopped the sword but the weapon's edge was remarkably sharp. It wasn't a lethal blow but it drew blood and sapped the momentum of the warrior. Instead of pressing his advantage , Petrus fell back some more , his goal was to buy himself space and time to weave his magic not to engage in pointless duels like some of his other companions.

The knight hesitated again to follow, most likely from the deep wound he had received. That was all the time Petrus required . The summoner warped Adria to his side, and the eidolon without pausing smashed the wounded warrior. Petrus was loathed to remove his guardian from the fray, but he saw the need to reform their lines. It was up to him to start it.

"Your shield and sword held up well?", asked Adria as she reached and grabbed another knight . She hefted her struggling victim above her head then smashed him on her knee, all the while sending waves of lightning and thunder into him from her hands.

Petrus nodded in reply. The last few months had saw a great influx of coin for the summoner. Unlike Kirgi who spent it mostly on booze and whores, or Halvor who was attempting to secure a noble estate, Petrus was more pragmatic and upgraded his equipment . Some men sought wealth for fame, or pleasure, Petrus simply desired power.

"That's a fairly cynical assessment of yourself . ", noted Adria, " You aren't simply motivated by power" You wouldn't be here if that's all you wanted. Your keen tactical mind would have told you to leave this dimension when things turned bad. ", she added with a wink.

Petrus ignored her veiled compliment. He simply pointed to the beleaguered squires and the pair began to fight their way to their side.

* * *

><p>Halvor struggled to his feet . Sir Jurgen was above him , ready to finish him with his mace. Just as the Griffon knight swung at him, the man's attack faltered as he grunted from pain. Halvor seized the opportunity and pinned the man's arm and waist with his arms. Although the Sir Jurgen was quite tall and broad, few humans could match Halvor in size and strength.<p>

Halvor shook the man and noticed Sharliss was on Jurgen's back sinking her fanged teeth into the man's arm. The big knight had never seen Sharliss so feral and bestial, a stark contrast to the demure noble woman he thought he had known. Their combined attacks caused the Griffon Knight to drop his weapon, allowing Halvor to safely slam him heavily into the ice. Halvor followed his attack, by simply dropping his large and armored knee onto his foe's head. A sickening crack confirmed the veteran knight was either dead , or at least taken out of the battle.

Halvor scrambled back and saw Sharliss had recovered his axe and was presenting it to him. He noted a look of shame on her face as she turned her blood wreathed face away from him. "You'll need this. ", she said in a small voice. Though her tone was quiet, it rang like thunder in Halvor's ears. The woman before him had always been in the back of his mind for the last few months even though he never thought he would see her again. Seeing her now , here in the most unlikely of battlegrounds, caused his head to spin worse than any blow that Sir Jurgen could have pounded into him.

"I'm sorry…I mean thank you…I mean I never thought I would see you here. ", stammered Halvor as he took the axe. The battle seemed distant and trivial as his thoughts focused on Sharliss. He saw she was speechless as well. The pair simply stared at each other until she finally turned away and retrieved Jurgen's mace and shield. She looked different he thought. Definitely older, more mature, more curvaceous. He knew the rapid aging was part of her curse , but at least for now it helped her to blossom into full woman hood. The fangs he knew about, though he could tell she was ashamed to bare them. She showed it to him in a private moment on a caravan trail once. That seemed like a life time ago.

"Look out! ", she yelled as she pointed behind him. Halvor turned and saw his day dreaming have proven fatal. Two knights were charging him from behind, His swung his axe, cursing himself for his inattentiveness. The heavy weapon clipped one of the knight's shields , sending him stumbling but still standing. The other warrior prepared to run Halvor through, but suddenly a crossbow bolt slammed into his chest sending him sprawling to the ground. Sharliss shield blocked the remaining warrior and battered his shield again with Jurgen's mace. Despite her delicate appearance , her strength and skill with the weapon surprised the warrior , causing him to go on the defensive. The delay was all Halvor required to swing his axe over his head and onto the Griffon knight. The warrior blocked with the shield but was driven into the ground from the force of the attack. A swift boot to the side from Sharliss and a kick to the head from Halvor finished the man.

"You love birds stop gawking at each other and go join Petrus. Don't let him die….again…he owes me money! ", shouted Kirgi from his ice perch. Two dead griffon knights laid at his feet. One with an axe embedded in his back, while another sat prone with an axe in his head.

The big knight blushed and ran towards the summoner as ordered. A loud echo sounded somewhere in the unknown distance as Halvor prepared for battle once again. Despite his wounds, he would see this battle through.

Halvor attempted to brush aside all thoughts of the past as he focused on the skirmish. Although he still harbored feelings for Sharliss, it would be foolish to assume she would feel the same. It was month's since the last they met and he reminded himself that it was not on good terms.

"Thank you for returning my handkerchief again. ", said Sharliss shyly as she followed Halvor into battle."Thank you my love…", she added in a barely audible whisper that sent a surge of adrenaline into the big knight like no spell ever could.

* * *

><p>Blaze unleashed a brutal ball of fire onto Darwen. The grey haired elf surrounded herself with a nimbus of blue flames before the inferno struck. A thunderous explosion echoed through out the tundra, but the grey haired elf seemed unharmed.<p>

Blaze flew in a circle around her foe as she unleashed as a barrage of magic missiles at her inferior foe. The bolts of energy struck Darwen at various angles during the Captain's flight but again they proved ineffective. Darwen returned a smirk that sent of waves of anger into Blaze.

Blaze then invoked a swift telekinetic spell and lifted a dozen shards of ice which she then sent hurtling towards her victim. Most of the frozen projectiles missed her grey hair foe, but a few struck , evoking grunts of pains and blood from her victim. The Captain attempted to repeat her success, but her victim blinked out of existence before the next volley struck. The grey haired elf then reappeared but seemed content in dodging and weaving than engaging Blaze head on.

The Captain's frustration rose at the lack of effect her magic had, but her spell repertoire was far from finished. She prepared to summon a huge air elemental to pursue then swirl around her enemy and send her crashing into the ground. It was one of her most powerful spells but it did require some degree of concentration to properly weave it. As she began its preparations, the grey hair elf ceased her evasive movements then bolted at her like a cat tired of waiting to pounce. The grey haried elf's long blade glittered like an icicle and almost seem to draw power from the frozen wasteland. The Captain saw the potentially fatal attack in time and abandoned her spell as she raised her rapier in defense.

The two elves exchanged a flurry of blows between them. Though the grey haired elf's blade was unusually powerful, the Captain's blade was bought from a decade of ill gotten plunder, a weapon forged and ensorcelled by the finest smiths and mages money can buy. Slashes, parries , blocks , feints, and ripostes were unleashed by the pair with deadly speed and expert skill.

Their initial clash proved inconclusive , but as the pair of elves flew and whirled about each other in a storm of bright steel and sparks, Blaze's strikes began slowly finding their marks. A slice here and a nick there were slowly taking their toll on her foe. Despite her icy shield that chilled the Captain every time she struck her opponent, Blaze saw her opponent's strength slowly sapped by her swordsmanship.

The red hair elf sensed the battle was close , and she attempted a finishing lunge at her enemy. Her grey haired opponent barely caught the stroke in time with her hilt, and the pair locked blades. Blaze knew her ugly gorilla like opponent was most likely stronger then her so she attempted to slide and finesse her blade apart before she could bring her might to bear. The captain was partially successful, but the sergeant managed to exact a kick to her stomach before they fell away.

Blaze ignored the strike , as she fell back and appraised her foe. She noted she sang as they fought, and her melody was roughly in synch with her strikes. An archaic style of fighting known as blade singing that integrated instead of improved spell casting and swordsmanship , she recalled. Blaze herself employed the more lethal and dangerous path of eldritch wizardy. A more powerful discipline that improved both arts independently. The captain was confident in her eventual victory since few disciplines could match the raw power of her path, especially something as dated and historic as blade singing.

"It won't be long now till I over power you. If you throw down your blade and surrender to me now , I promise your captivity will be pleasant. ", purred the Captain. She of course had no intention of putting her foe in a gilded cage. On the off chance her trick would work, she would be sure to torture and break her opponent in the worse ways imaginable.

"Our skill with the blade is roughly equal, though I admit your mastery of magic is a higher level than mine, and your weapon is much superior as well. However you should be one surrendering not me. ", noted the grey haired elf coldly.

"Silly girl…why should I….", laughed Blaze but suddenly Darwen jetted towards her again. The captain saw her opportunity and unleashed a strong gust of wind directly at her foe. From this range , the supernatural gale should slam her from the sky and onto the ice below. Her foe simply began singing again and canceled the spell with a spell of her own. The captain watched in shock as her opponent managed to not only cast a spell but struck her with her blade as well. The integrated attack caught Blaze off guard as the elven long blade managed to slip past her unready defenses. It should have been an easy strike to block , but her own spell casting left her out of position for the attack. Grey hair then lashed her weapon onto Blaze's delicate hands causing her to drop her rapier in a splash of crimson. Her foe then struck the Captain in the jaw with a solid fist. Blaze spun from the blow and brought her hands to her face and knees to her stomach to instinctively protect herself from her foe. It only needed to buy her a few seconds before she could exact an escape spell, but suddenly a burning pain in her head broke her concentration .

Her opponent had cruelly wrapped her fingers into Blaze's long hair and was now plummeting to the glacier below with the Captain in tow. Right before the pair impacted onto the hard surface, the elf released her prisoner sending Blaze smashing into the unforgiving surface by herself.

A brief cloud of crushed ice and light snow drifted over the Captain's prone body before she suddenly rose up. Her elegant uniform was torn but her face was still curiously perfect and unmarred.

"Enough!", Blaze shouted as she scanned for her foe through the mist. She quickly spotted a hovering figure and unleashed a devastating ray of polar ice at it. The figure seemed surprised and was struck squarely by the beam. The ice seem to tear through it and rend it to pieces as it continued its path.

The captain smiled in triumph at her defeated foe as she brushed the snow and ice off of herself. " My spells are stronger, my swordsmanship is better, and my magic items are greatly superior , you piece of ice elf gutter trash. Know your place when you stand against Captain Blaze of the Acheron. No cohort of a gawky little tiefling is a match for me. ", she boasted at no one in particular.

When suitably recovered , Blaze scanned for her giant captives. They were still trapped inside her fiery wall, and it appeared they were suffering from some form of heat exhaustion. She dispelled her wall and threw a rope on them that quickly entangled their limbs. She doubt the rope would actually hold them, but she knew from her vast experience at capturing slaves, that broken victims seldom tried to flee.

She had expended too much magic to return to her vessel with a teleport , and she definitely couldn't fly the giants back. She would have to signal her buccaneers to retrieve her and her prisoners. She retrieved her handy little haversack and dug out the appropriate colored flares. She had taken them from the corpse of a Grommish sailor on one of her more clandestine missions and had put them to good use ever since. She didn't know the signals the Grommers use, but it wasn't difficult to devise her own set of signals for her crew. She fired the blue flares and hoped her buccaneers would come soon. She had no doubt that the Griffon knights would triumph , and hoped they would trust that she would return to them with the giants. If for some reason they found her before her buccaneers did, she would claim she was waiting for them all along and wait for another opportunity to betray them. It was pretty much a no lose situation for her.

Blaze cackled arrogantly before her captives as she thought about her good fortune. Her foe defeated, hostages secured, and riches beyond her wildest dreams with in her reach. Life was good.

As Blaze laughed, suddenly a cold pain pierced her heart. She looked in surprise as blood spilled over her lips and saw a blade of metal protruding out of her chest. She fell to the ground , her visions of grandeur fading into the darkness.

* * *

><p>The elementals marched relentlessly. Their pace did not seem to quicken as they approached the Champions. They formed in a long column as they traveled on the ice, six to ten wide depending on their size. The ice could fit closer to 20 if they use the full length of the bridge, but the earthen soldiers seemed content at their formation.<p>

The Grand Champion of the Emerald Squirrel stood at the vanguard of his small group. His great axe in hand , with a snarl on his lips. He looked every bit like the savage barbarian the southern tales painted him to be as he awaited the elementals. To his left was the Champion of the Boar, her iron helmet hiding all emotion save her piercing eyes that seemed to glow with a ferocious rage. To his right was the Champion of the Crab. Smile on his face with sword and shield at the ready . No fear in his eyes as he awaited certain doom.

"So….you actually think we can hold off ….umm 100,000 elementals? Like I'm all for a good scrap, but I fought these guys before with High Priest Roland. Even with a half dozen dragons at our side we were wiped out. I did get to visit my brothers and Branndr in the drinking Hall of Rawk though. ", noted Frank as he casually twirled Galatea in his hand. " I don't mind dieing, but it gets kind of repetitive. ", he added with a shrug.

Hero readied her axe and glared at the approaching earthen horde. "I am unsure of the Grand Champion's tactics but I have fought these creatures before as well. Use power attacks and overpower strikes . Their hide is resistant to most weapons, even the Axe of the Boar. "

"Snappy , have you lost your mind? ", inquired Surry as she readied her bow. Though she was placed in the rear with Molly the Dragon for support, the Treekeeper knew full well that her position was not safe. They would be enveloped and surrounded almost instantly.

Erland was slightly reassured as Surry used her pet name for him . He didn't show it though as he scowled and his visage grew grim. His glare sent chills in his companions , even though they were on an ice bridge in the frozen north. For a second the prospect of incurring the Grand Champions wrath seemed worse then the rapidly approaching wall of earth and stone. "I do not have the time to explain. If you find my leadership lacking, you can fight me in the dueling pits back at Narwhal keep when we are done . ", he growled.

Frank though this statement over. "Wait…that makes no sense. We'll be dead by then. ", he blurted before the elementals crashed into the small group.

* * *

><p>Prince Frostreaver looked in numbed silence as the grey haired elf stabbed the red headed one through the back. The giant prince looked at the victor warily and knew he had just exchanged one captor for another. Though his sister was better at magic then he was, Frostreaver saw the end of the battle for what it was. The grey haired one simply went invisible and placed an illusion of herself for her foe to destroy. The grey haired one was wisely biding her time till the red headed one grew careless. A common tactic he had observed in the past when an older veteran dueled a much younger opponent.<p>

Frostreaver saw that his sister was still too weak and judged the grey haired elf carefully. From his observation of the battle, she was weaker with sword and spell then the red headed one, but was better versed in tactics and battle experience. She definitely talked less than her fallen foe and looked less menacing. Frostreaver did not let that put him off guard as he knew looks can definitely be deceiving. Especially from his recent experiences.

Demons were a constant threat in the north . They plagued everyone in the tundra including their ancient foes the Northern Knights. Though most skirmishes were won by the mighty frost giants , demons were known to ambush and corrupt small bands of his kinsman. Demonic half breeds were often the hated and despised results of this corruption, and they were often more vicious then their Abyssal masters. As a Prince of the Frostgiants one of his many tasks were hunting these abominations wherever they could be found , so it came to great surprise to Frostreaver when a half fiend not only healed him and his sister, but facilitated their escape as well. Through the blizzard he saw that she attempted to throw the bulk of the Griffon knights from their trail , and suspected if it were not for her actions they would have been captured much earlier. The giant Prince considered the boon that was given him , and considered breaking the puny ropes that held him and attacking the grey haired elf in a final show of defiance.

The elf walked up to him and said several similar phrases repeatedly . After her fourth or fifth reply the ropes unravelled and Frostreaver found himself free.

"I read recently that only giants of noble blood can use the Jotun gifts. I suspect that was the reason the knights captured you and why Blaze wanted to use you as hostages. I will not allow you to be captured by the Griffon. Flee while you can. ", the elf said warily with her weapon in hand.

Frostreaver rose up and glared down at the elf. For some reason he sensed no danger in her . Her suggestion made sense , but he knew it was hopeless. Their true foe was relentless . No matter how many times they were defeated they always rose up to fight again. " Fleeing is futile. This break in the weather is just the eye of the storm. The earth elementals will hunt us down again then seek the orb. Running only delays the inevitable. Even if they can't properly harness the orb they will attempt to do so anyways, with or without a giant user. Their lack of control will unleash terrible storms, that not even they can withstand. Their lord will not be released but they will bring unprecedented destruction to the world. They will follow the orb to the ends of the world. Where ever there is rock and stone they will rise up endlessly to claim it. ", stated the Prince in rough common. The giant armies had inflicted devastating casualties on the elementals, but it was only a brief respite till they reformed and attacked again. Such was the nature of their tireless foe.

The elf considered his statement and nodded. "There was mention of casting the orb in one of the chaos portals that dot the land here. If we somehow recovered it , can we destroy it that way? ",she asked.

"No, those gates lead to the abyss. It would only mean it is placed in demonic hands, both a chaotic and dangerous situation. ", the giant said shaking his head. He did not know why but he trusted the elf. Perhaps the red headed elf was only playing dead , and they were using some sort of wood elf , drow elf trick on him. Maybe his pride had been completely stripped away and he was incapable of fighting back. Regardless of the reasoning , he rather talk then fight against her.

The elf thought over his statement then shrugged, " If we retrieve the orb, perhaps one of the Champions will know what to do. "

The giant shook his head. "I know very little about the lands of the small people, but I do know about the Champions you speak of. The Champion of the Griffon is a deadly and ruthless warrior known even amongst my people. The orb currently resides with him, and I doubt he intends to relinquish it. I will take your advice and flee with my sister. If worse comes to worse, they will not take us alive. I wish you good luck , but I've learned that to challenge the Griffon Champion is to court death. ", the giant stated grimly.

The elf considered his words and oddly did not despair. After witnessing the Champion of the Griffin destroy Taskmaster Uzrith, Frostreaver thought she was either naïve or did not understand the danger at hand.

The elf simply smiled . " If this situation came up a few weeks ago, I would definitely thought it an unwinnable one. Recent events have shown me otherwise. I might not believe in myself all the time, but I do have faith in another. We…I mean I have my own Champion to contend with Lord Felwind.", she said with confidence.


	71. Chapter 71

Felwind dived at Zax on his Draconic Griffon . The war beast tilted to the side as the Champion leaned downwards to extend his reach. Felwind's sabre seemed to vibrate and stretch as it hurtled towards the tiefling's head.

Zax was frozen . Not in fear but from his brain's inability to react to such a sudden strike. In most circumstances he would have panicked and ran around screaming in circles , hide and pray in some frozen hole, or most likely fall on his knees and beg for mercy. The speed of the Griffon Lord's attacks was too swift for a normal mortal to react to and the tiefling simply could not process the mortal danger he was in.

Fortunately for Zax, Bucky's drug expanded mind was up to the challenge. The lotus addicted pony saw the danger, side stepped and bolted erratically from the diving Griffon Hybrid. The sudden jolt of movement foiled Felwind's strike but also sent the tiefling crashing unceremoniously into the snow from the evasive maneuver.

"Excellent! Truly you are a worthy foe. ", cheered the Griffon Champion as he noted in surprise that his foe's neck had not be slashed open. "My apologies Sir Zax. When I first heard about a tiefling Champion , I did not think much of it or of you. Your cunning planning and actions have proven me wrong. "

Zax of course , could barely hear a thing as his head was buried in the snow. He extradited himself from his unflattering position and saw his wayward pony fleeing into the ice covered hills.

"My seers knew little about you, but I can understand why now. Unlike the other buffoons that are called Champions, your knowledge of the secret workings of the world approaches my own. I see now that you've evaded my divinations by surrounding yourself with those that have some association with the Warmaster. We both know that the Warmaster's destiny is unreadable. I also suspect that those that have close association or even his bloodline share in a minor way his ability to obscure portents. From your association with his daughter Sharliss and the abomination Sarin I guess that you have put this theory to test. Bravo! ", applauded Felwind.

Zax ignored the babbling old man and got to his feet and brushed the snow off him. As soon as he made himself presentable he hoped to talk to the geezer and try again to swing a deal. His sudden appearance surprised him, but he quickly recovered. Even though he failed initially to scare him with his bluffs, outside of the prying eyes of his troops was a different matter. Perhaps he could offer him a solution that would a win win for both of them. Something mutually beneficial that would save them both face. The last thing he wanted to do was to beat up an old man, even one that talked incessantly.

"Your ability to see hidden danger is also astounding. My group and I had encountered the …"icy log"… as well. Monte Nabisco , the Warmaster, even Sir Hildraxel were no match for this innocent looking enough hazard. My seer even told me that my nemesis, Grand Champion Erland recently fell to its clutches. I wished to cross it myself, but my seer convinced me otherwise. It seemed foolish, but I've long grown accustomed to their warnings. You however, saw the log and knew right away to avoid it. You would not have caught up to my Griffon troops otherwise. ", congratulated Felwind.

"Yeah, yeah . Scary log I get it. Its really slippery. When I was an orphan waif, I learned from Sister Wayland not to cross icy surfaces else you might fall, unless of course an adult was nearby. ", agreed Zax . " Now how about we get to some serious negotiations now that our minions are not around. Look, I know my reputation is pretty daunting, but we can work something out here. I'm willing to bend a bit, if you are willing as well my friend. We're both a couple of guys trying to make a buck in this world without this so called Armageddon coming down on us. "

Felwind laughed. "An excellent suggestion. If I knew you were such a reasonable person , I would have instructed Stormfeather to deal with you in a different manner. It seemed the heavy handed approach did not turn out so well. Several slain knights in Lower Lueders and the loss of Sir Albin in Grom City. I thought my son Iceclaw got rid of you in the Shattered mountains, but it seems it was just a clever ruse. In normal circumstances I would jump at opportunity to forge an alliance with such a resourceful opponent, but the time for talk is long over with. There can only be one victor today I'm afraid. "

Zax sighed but knew it could be worse. Those other bigger knights were pretty scary , but this old geezer didn't seem so amazing. Sure his mount was impressive, but that's about it. They had a saying in the carriage business, the drivers with the biggest horses were the ones that had to compensate the most. This old man was definitely putting on airs or something. Zax looked for his Furry dog sword but frowned when he couldn't see it. He guessed it must have gotten lost in the snow when he got bucked off. He instead drew his Grom club and his dragon golem. "Look old man, Stinkcloud or whatever your name is, you ain't crap without your knights backing you up. Its just you and me, and I have a dragon golem . I'll kill you before you even take a step towards me. So let's cut the macho act and just surrender to me already. ", declared Zax as he waved the weapon that Sharliss had given him a few weeks ago.

Though the tiefling's aim was steady , he couldn't recall if he reloaded it after he fired the warning shot earlier. It didn't matter, he was sure the old man had probably wetted himself now. A dragon golem was a dangerous weapon, that could kill from a distance. Even worse, was that it made a really loud bang. Zax was sure if someone pointed one at him he would probably wet himself , and then wet himself twice from the loud noise. The tiefling knew it was best not to drink liquids before a fight just for that reason. Lot of so called veterans in the army always reminded people to eat plenty of bread and drink plenty of water before a big battle, but that was just setting one self up for embarrassment. Zax could proudly say he had never threw up on his uniform or wetted himself in battle, mainly because his stomach and bladder were empty.

*Thunk*

Zax's eyes grew wide as he heard the noise and felt a jolt in his arm. He looked in shock as an arrow was embedded in the dragon golem's mouth. The tiefling looked at the Griffon Champion and saw he had sheathed his sabre, drew his bow, nocked an arrow, aimed and fired before he could react. Even now he was smoothly putting his bow into the saddle mounted bow sheath while drawing his saber again. The old man's movements were borderline hypnotic in their smoothness and fluidity.

The Griffon Lord then dismounted his beast . He effortlessly landed like a cat on the crushed ice and snow. The draconic hybrid then flapped its wings creating small whirlwinds of snow . It hovered briefly before it bolted through the sky to pursue Zax's mount.

"Amusing as it has been. It is time to end it. ", declared Felwind as he stalked towards Zax.

The tiefling watched in terror as the man advanced. He was very glad he didn't have anything to drink recently.

* * *

><p>Sarin stabbed at the Griffon Prince again, but he nimbly danced away from the blow and slashed him in return. Sarin's spear struck a frozen column and shattered it , but the impressive attack was still useless against the Knight. Sarin suffered a half dozen strikes from Stormfeather and had landed none in return. The man was simply too quick and unearthly fast.<p>

Though his anger was fueled by Kania's fall , the Griffon Prince skillfully evaded Sarin's attacks . The paladin's attacks were fierce but his foe seemed content to let him exhaust his power . The half elf knew that soon the momentum would swing against him and he would have to be on the defensive, that's when Stormfeather would attempt to finish their battle.

Sarin saw that several of his allies had fallen or were missing. Kania of course was down, Squire Rollo was dead or unconscious, Nymk was unaccounted for, Zax was missing and Darwen had left. He recalled Darwen pursuing the red headed elf earlier since she was the only one that could deal with her speed. That only left Ogela , Adria, Isula, Petrus, Halvor , Sharliss and Kirgi. Sadly they were facing a much more numerous and organized foe. Most of his remaining allies had banded together and from casual glances , Sarin could see they were putting up a stiff resistance, but Isula was isolated and seemed over matched from the brute they called Iceclaw.

The paladin gave a wide sweep with his spear towards the Griffon Prince, more in an attempt to drive him back than to actually land a blow. He knew Stormfeather was their most dangerous foe, not counting Lord Felwind, and their only hope of defeating him was to extend the battle. Perhaps an opportunity would arise where he would stumble and expose himself to a chance strike.

"Is the poor Zug folk getting tired? ", taunted the Griffon Prince as he flipped over the low sweep. It was a flashy unnecessary move , especially on the icy ground, but Stormfeather executed it flawlessly. Sarin knew it was a shameless attempt to taunt and infuriate him.

The paladin ignored the derogatory comment and walked into the Prince. Though his spear wasn't at the ready, he hoped to smash the man with his broad shoulder while he was still helpless in the air. To his dismay, Stormfeather shifted impossibly in the air and used the half elf as a board to lightly spring away , then land gracefully with another flip to his feet. As he landed he lunged at the half elf with his inhuman speed , striking Sarin's arm cleanly. Instead of pressing his advantage , Stormfeather pulled back, obviously enjoying his game.

Sarin looked at the man in shock after the maneuver he had pulled. It was something you would expect to see in a circus or an acrobat troupe rather than in battle. "I see that expression a lot, especially on the faces of my victims before they die. ", laughed Stormfeather. "Come now, I don't want to see surprise, I want to see terror or despair. Something fitting of an abomination like yourself."

Despite his now wounded arm Sarin readied his spear and instead of charging he kept it pointed at his foe. Relinquishing the initiative was not wise right now, but he hope to get the Griffon Prince monologuing about himself to prolong the battle and buy his friends a fighting chance.

"If you want me to display terror, you will have to do better than dancing around . Tell me tales of how you will rip my belly open and watch me try to stuff the contents back in. Or maybe how you will torture me for days , using your healers to keep me in a constant state of misery.", remarked Sarin with a smirk.

Stormfeather shook his head. "How crude. One hour tops is the most I would let you suffer. True fear does not arise from what I will do to you, but what I will do to your friends. Especially those that you care about. The big human and the dwarf I will torture and then make them fight. I will offer them the false hope of freedom if they kill each other. Either one of those ugly elves I will offer to my men. I personally can't stand them, but some of my soldiers have bizarre taste in women. They will be reduced to broken mindless souls soon afterwards. The summoner and his Eidilon are too dangerous to live, and regretfully I will have to end them quickly. Our lovely Sharliss on the other hand, I will make my consort, or perhaps my wife depending on the aftermath of the political landscape. I will personalize terrorize and break her till she is only a shadow of her current stubborn strong self. Maybe I will make her a serving maid for when I finally marry my sister, willingly or not. ", laughed the Prince.

Sarin recoiled in disgust. He knew it was all just an attempt to enrage him, and he had to admit it was working. He had to thinking of something to turn the verbal tide. " Err….yo momma! ", he blurted out and instantly regretted saying it.

Stormfeather stopped in disbelief and stared at the half elf in disappointment. "Is that all? Is that your retort? By Rawk you are pathetic. I heard tales from my sister that you held off thirty knights at Lord Quick's manor, and I had hopes that we would one day cross weapons. I believe that our battle would be truly epic, but sadly that is not the case. ", the prince said while shaking his head.

"I don't do the insult or put down thing that often. That's more Zax's department. ", apologized Sarin.

"I see…..Your reputation is clearly inflated. Like that of the pathetic Grommish Royal Guard, the so called unstoppable Elementals , or of this worthless creature. ", Stormfeather declared as he gave the prone form of Kania a good swift kick. Kania's body convulsed and she spat blood , but she did not stir beyond that. However, some large bump began shifting unnatural underneath her tattered robes that drew curious glances from both the paladin and the Griffon Prince.

"What in the…..?", began Stormfeather , when suddenly a large cross eyed , bestial, severed head flew out from the folds of Kania's clothes. The Prince stumbled back and impaled the head , but it was the distraction that Sarin had been waiting for. The Paladin knew the distance between them would be too great to cover, so with a mighty heave he tossed his spear , while channeling all his remaining divine energy in it. Such a channel was normally reserved for dragons or demons , but Sarin felt confident that Stormfeather's evil rivaled anything he had ever encountered. He hoped his weapon flew true , as he knew full well the consequences if he missed.

Stormfeather saw the attack at the last moment and attempted to swat it away , but the ogre head stuck on his sword flew and thrashed mindlessly in its death throes , spoiling his block. The spear struck the Griffon Prince in the belly and it released waves of pure divine power into him. Retribution and vengeance for all his crimes and foul deeds powered the spear as it tore through his armor and then his stomach .

Stormfeather looked in shocked at the pure white weapon impaling him. He dropped his sword then fell to his knees. He grasped the holy spear with both hands and with superhuman effort pulled it out of himself with a sickening sucking sound. His hands were scorched by the holy fire and they fell to his side from his effort. "Well played…well played….I didn't expect that. How Ironic….my guts are the ones that are spilling out. ", said the weakened Prince. Sarin took a step towards him , but Stormfeather suddenly summoned the strength to grab a small pot with his injured hands. He winced in pain as he threw it at the half elf. A cloud of green mist enveloped Sarin as the Prince laughed manically.

"Suffer from a direct dose of …elf bane….you damned abomination.", choked the dying prince.

*Cough Hack* were the only replies Sarin gave as he brushed away the nuisance and continued his advance. " I guess you do pretty desperate stuff when you are losing, I guess I'm lucky you didn't fling your crap or something like that at me. ", shrugged the half elf as he continued his advance.

Stormfeather's jaw dropped as a look of panic filled his face. "Healer!...healer! ….", gasped the Prince but he saw no one.

Sarin retrieved a mace from of the knights he had felled earlier and was prepared to intercept any clerics that offered him aid. Stormfeather was simply too dangerous to be revived.

Both the Prince and Paladin stopped as they saw the rest of the battlefield strangely quiet.

Stormfeather frowned as the blood drained from him. "This isn't over….Lionsong…my lov…. ", he whispered before falling face first into the crimson snow.

* * *

><p>Erland fought with a rage unseen before. The other champions were formidable legends in their own rights, but the ferocity of the Grand Champion out shined their deeds today. Erland cleave great swaths of the elementals as they rushed them. Though the rock monsters were resistant to most weapon blows, and their lack of anatomy made quick kills impossible against them, the Grand Champion systematically broke them down and reduced them to rubble with his axe.<p>

"We've stymied their progress, but they are out flanking us. There isn't enough of us to hold this bridge. ", noted Hero as she smashed her own axe against a large quadruped earth beast.

Erland returned only a scowl in response.

"She's got a point there ..Sna….Erland. ", noted Surry uneasily as she fired an arrow into one of the smaller elementals. Though the large ones were near immune to arrows, the smaller ones were not so lucky. " The edge of the ice bridge is less stable, but they won't be able to swarm around us. "

Erland smashed a large earthen giant with the butt of his axe. He then gripped the short hoop at the end of his axe , partially freeing his hand. With near supernatural strength he hefted the stunned creature up and tossed it into his fellows. "We stay here! I'm counting on getting surrounded !", he scowled during the short lull in battle he had created.

"Hey! Don't back talk the Grand Champion ! This is the guy who wanted to do an all out cavalry charge against the gnoll horde before the Warmaster changed the plan. This is the leader that we all chose based on his ability to bash things over the head. This is the warlord that's most famous for having a squirrel on his helmet…wait….why are we following you again ?" , joked Frank as he fell back from a heavy blow to his shield.

Molly the dragon unleashed a torrent of flame at a group of elementals, and Pixietrampler mule kicked one that got too close. Despite their efforts the elementals would soon envelop the small band. Though the Champions fought fiercly and had killed many, their blows mostly wounded their resistant foe and they were amassing their strength against them.

"Should we …umm retreat before they over run us? ", asked Frank nervously as the ranks of elementals began building . "I don't mind dieing, but its hard to come back if your body becomes paste."

*CRACK*

Before Erland could reply, the air was filled with the sound of breaking ice. The elementals hesitated as the bridge shifted suddenly. Though the ice did not break, the attacking earth seemed hesitant to press their numeric advantage for fear of disrupting the ground. Several elementals were not so lucky and actually slid off the bridge and into the ocean below them.

Erland's band however suffered no side effects. Besides Surry, they were all raised on tundra and Ice. The terrain shifted in their favor and they renewed their attack. The Treekeeper was unimpeded since she was on Pixietrampler which seemed to almost hover of the ice.

"ahh…that's why you're the Grand Champion. ", spoke Frank thoughtfully. "For a minute there, I thought I was going to have to customize my helmet. "

* * *

><p>"Knights of the Griffon! I command you to stop! ",commanded the Griffon Princess."You too Iceclaw !", she added authoritatively.<p>

The Order of the Griffon were just a few minutes away from victory. The hardened knights were trained in the skills of war as well as in obedience to their liege and his family. Princess Lionsong was well respected amongst the knights and obeying her seemed natural. They glanced at Stormfeather and saw he was skewered, pathetically calling for a healer. The only other person that could counter her order was Champion Felwind and he was nowhere to be seen. Without a higher authority, they lowered their weapons and halted their attack, despite their better judgement.

Even the bestial brute Iceclaw stopped his relentless assault on the Frost giant and happily wobbled to his sisters side. As he approached she lightly hopped onto his shoulders and scanned the horizon. The Griffon Princess appeared to have spotted something and took out a pipe of some sort from her pack. She blew the instrument, which curiously made no noise and hopped off her brother's back.

She then turned to a short blond woman that was behind her and bowed. "That worked out better than I had hoped for. I suspected the Champions of the North would arrive, not you and your band. I did not think your allies would be able to defeat my brother , though my father is still unaccounted for. I fulfilled my end of the bargain, do I have your word you will fulfill yours?", asked Lionsong.

Nymk gave her a doubtful look. "We do not have the orb, no deal till we retrieve it. ", she cautioned.

Lionsong smiled coyly at the smaller woman. She reached out and messed her short blond hair. " Now, now. I can control the knights currently because my brother is dead, and Iceclaw is an idiot. If father returns that's a different matter. Some may see reason and side with me, others might not be so far sighted. It would be for the best if I take the remaining knights away with me before their loyalties are tested. ", she noted. As on cue a flock of roughly 20 griffons , mostly riderless but a few with riders started to descend towards them. " As a woman of my word, I can stay and confront my father, or take them away if you deem my obligation discharged, and I have your word that you will sway Erland's ear on the future of the Griffon. "

" The immediate danger has passed. My father cannot properly use the orb he possesses, only a giant of royal blood can. I assume that the two I assisted in escaping are long gone by now, unless of course that traitorous Blaze caught them. Even then , I saw the elf named Darwen pursue her. I've seen the grey haired elf in action, she is a good match for Blaze, at worse she can simply kill the giants. ", noted the Griffon Princess.

Nymk was shocked at the Griffon Princesses' callous statement, she considered her words then sighed. "Agreed I will plead your case personally to the Grand Champion. Thank you, and good luck. ", she said as she shook the bigger woman's hand reluctantly.

The Griffon Princess leaned into Nymk and whispered. "Remember , you will have to deal with father, or all our machinations will be for naught. He is as dangerous as any foe you will ever cross, but your band took care of Stormfeather, so they might be up to the task. "

Lionsong then beamed Nymk an approving smile then turned to Sharliss. "Forgive me for your captivity. It was not my plan, but I was powerless to go against my father and brother directly. I would never repay the one that freed me from the Saughain in such a manner. As you probably have guessed, I am as much a prisoner to my family as you were. "To emphasize her point, she pointed her chin to the now dead Stormfeather. A cold shiver ran down the proud princess's spine.

Sharliss bowed and accepted her apology. "I understand your situation. I assume you were the one that relieved Sir Jurgen as my guard, and you must have reduced the guards on the two giants. I would not have been able to enact an escape attempt if you had not done so. I also assume that the inert green powder….the elf bane poison …was your doing. " , stated the priestess in her best diplomatic voice.

Lionsong nodded at the priestess's conjecture, then turned back to Nymk. "Even if the two giants escape, the elementals will continue their search. They will destroy all in their path to reclaim the orb. Though it can not be used, they may employ it in other ways, or worse…make dark pacts with lower powers to unravel its secrets. "

The remaining Griffon knights then mounted up on their arriving mounts. The monsters were covered with injuries ranging from minor to near fatal. "We'll meet again to settle our accounts later. Two to one in my favor I believe is the score. ", she shouted as they flew away.

Sarin shuffled painfully to the small swords woman. "I take it you cut them a deal ? They get their honor back in the council we get them off our backs? ", suggested the half elf.

"I also get my bow back. ", smiled Nymk as she produced a black bow , complete with a quiver with black arrows.

Sarin smiled then he stopped and looked around. "Hey…anyone seen Isula?"

* * *

><p>Captain Magnus ordered his men to shove the dead Griffon carcass off of the deck, as they hastily patched the skyship. Though they had recently survived a life and death battle, he would not have his battle deck sullied by the dead beast.<p>

The Imperial had attempted to dive to escape their Griffon attackers. Magnus knew it would buy them a few seconds and he hoped to use it to unleash another broadside on their foes. Instead of attacking though the Griffons broke off their attack and flew further into the iceberg. Magnus was unsure of their destination, but he suspected they were up to no good. Perhaps the Lady Sharliss was being held by them in a camp further ahead . The Captain noted the direction they flew in and readied his ship for another battle.

"They were signaled. A high pitch whistle. ", noted the nondescript steward.

Magnus heard nothing of the sort, but he remembered the trust Ramirez placed on this man. He made a mental note to get a wizard to further study this type of whistle, and ordered his ship to follow. The ships hull was still breached in places, but the damaged riggings were replaced and their weapons were reloaded . Despite its wounds, the Imperial was ready for war once again.

As the oddly shaped vessel pursued the Griffons , with the assistance of a telescope he saw they had rendezvous with a small group up ahead. The Captain guessed that was the reason for the riderless Griffons, they were held in reserve till the weather cleared . If that was the case, their enemy would be that much more dangerous. The riderless griffons were swiftly mounted and after a brief exchange they abandoned the group they had just met. He ordered the ship to slow to battle speed and hoped to catch his now recouped foes with another devastating broadside before they were engaged in close quarters again.

"Captain Magnus…wait. Sharliss is in the ground group. ", noted the nondescript man without the aid of a telescope. Magnus was dubious about his claim, but as the Imperial approached closer, he did spot a girl that fit the description. Medium height , blue hair, pretty in an aristocratic way.

Magnus considered pursuing the airborne Griffons but he shook his head. Duty was more important than revenge. " Prepare for emergency retrieval . The Emperor himself wants that girl safely back aboard. ", he bellowed to his crew.

* * *

><p>Prince Frostreaver carried his sister on his back as he ran. Despite their freedom, he noted they was still facing death from either Griffon Knight or more likely elementals. Though Uzrith was destroyed , he knew it was only temporary. Many times in the past the Archomental had been destroyed by the giant forces just to rise up and raise another army of rock born soldiers to assault Frosthaven.<p>

"Frosty….you can let me down. ", whispered Isula weakly. "I can travel on my own feet. "

The Prince complied and lowered her sister to the ground. Frostreaver doubted her assessment but knew it would be useless to argue with her. Besides, if they were to die, best to face it standing like a warrior he noted.

"We are free, but I do not know for how long. ", explained the Prince.

"I know. I was weakened by the Aaapallo Myrskyjen but I was still partially aware of what was going around me. I heard and saw bits and pieces of what happened. ", explained Isula.

Frostreaver nodded. "We will make for the ocean and swim for it. We won't make it to land, but Thryme be willing, perhaps we'll find a suitable chunk of ice to aid our escape. ",offered the Prince.

Isula smiled weakly at her brother, "A good plan but we need a contingent. ", she said warily. She then found a loose boulder of ice , picked it up and smashed it on the ground. She then appraised the pieces and picked out two dagger like shards.

"Those won't help us against the elementals. We'd be better off with our fists. ", appraised Frostreaver.

"Those aren't for them. ", explained Isula grimly. "We must not let our noble blood fall in their hands. "

Frostreaver stared blankly but accepted her explanation. He had considered such a dire course of action, but had not actually planned how to do it. Self-sacrifice was one thing , but the real possibility of killing ones sister and self was another.

"You disgrace your blood and you disgrace your father for considering the easy way out. ", boomed a voice in Jotun . Frostreaver and Isula turned and saw what they could only describe as a mythical giant goddess before them.

She was short for a giant but carried herself with an aristocratic presence. Physically she appeared like a giant youth. She had white hair and pale skin and was dressed in battle worn armor in the style of the ancients. Frostreaver thought she resembled one of the statues in his father's court, a legendary hero, a revered ancestor or perhaps a goddess of war.

The giant Prince and Princess instinctively fell to their knees at the sight of this demi goddess. "What will you have us do , Maiden of Battle? ", they asked in confusion.

"Your people are displaced and scattered. King Frostreaver is dead. He was slain not by humans or elementals but by one of his own chieftains. Now is not the time to contemplate death, but the time to lead. You will return to your people and raise them to greatness once more. One of you must lead, and the other must accept their leadership or challenge their right to rule. Resolve your differences swiftly and conclusively, do not let regrets follow your decision and tear each other part. If the minions of Ogremoch come after you , you will not debate on how to die, but debate on how to make them die. Do not dishonor yourselves by surrendering at each other's hands, sell your lives dearly to the enemy . Make them pay in shattered stones and sundered rocks. ", she ordered.

Frostreaver considered her words and bowed in obedience. Though her words were harsh and offered little insight on a course of action, he felt his heart stirred by her speech. "Yes m'lady. We will get off this iceberg and swim and track our people to the ends of the Mystara if need be. "

The demi god shook her head. Then drew a bizarre looking axe that seemed more organic then metallic in nature. It seemed to shift slightly in her hands, and gave the impression of a dozen screaming souls attempting to escape its grasp. The sight of the weapon unnerved both brother and sister.

"The …the Warping …..axe. ", choked Isula in shock as she recognized the terrible weapon before them.

"We…I…will attempt to use it to reach our people, but it might be too powerful for me to use. Only father could use it effectively, and even then it drained him immensely. ", stated Frostreaver warily.

The goddess stared at them and laughed. "Stand back whelps ! ", she declared even though she looked younger then the pair. She then hefted the axe easily in both her hands and made a simple slashing movement in the air. The siblings had seen their father use the axe before, but always with tremendous effort and strain. Frostreaver watched in numb horror as a dark tear through reality appeared. He briefly caught glimpses of what appeared to be dark horrors beyond the rift, but they quickly fled when ambient light flooded into it, forming a crude road.

" Make haste! Take this portal and follow the path. Do not stray from it lest you anger this realm's terrors. ", declared the goddess . Though she appeared resolute, Frostreaver sensed the effort had drained her slightly, though no where near as much as it would have drained his father.

Frostreaver and Isula nodded and both hustled into the rift. "Are you coming with us goddess? You can lead us, inspire our people….like you've inspired us. You can wield the Jotun relics…no one will object to you being made queen. ", asked the Prince as he was partially through the portal.

"These relics are nothing but a trap, they offer solutions that our might should have provided. They drain the best of us and weaken our people in the long run. No….I will not go with you. My path , has been decided long ago .", said the goddess with a soft smile.

The pair reluctantly accepted her answer and proceeded down the path. As the portal slowly closed behind them, Isula turned and asked the goddess a final question. "Please…if we survive this, I would like to know the name of our savior. "

The goddess considered her question and hesistated. " You can call me Lady Njord.", she whispered as she appeared to shrink before their eyes. Frostreaver blinked and attempted to confirm this odd sight, but the rift closed behind them .

The giant siblings then looked at the path before them , and made haste to traverse this twilight realm.

* * *

><p>The tide of battle had temporarily turned in favor of the Champions. The elementals were hesitant to press their weight of numbers for fear it would unbalance or collapse the ice bridge further, this allowed the swifter and more importantly , sure footed Champions , to strike their broken ranks.<p>

Champion Frank easily slice the paw of a creature resembling a tiger made of granite. His silvery blade seemed unimpeded by its stony hide as it severed its foot. The creature roared in anger, but unlike a real tiger seemed unimpeded by its injury. Smaller stones seem to bubble forth from the wound and was mending its self as it temporarily halted its attack. Frank of course charged his hesitant foe and smashed his shield heavily against its head. Though the blow did little to the granite beast, it was unbalanced by both the blow and its lack of a paw . It toppled onto the uneven ice and slid helplessly off the ice bridge and into the crashing waves below.

"That's right, who's next? Who wants a piece of the Frankster? Step right up, I got a helluva a lot of pain to dish out .", challenged Frank as he spun his blade like a showman in his palm. The elementals seemed reluctant to charge, but a huge barely humanoid shaped elemental crashed through their ranks and confronted the arrogant fighter. It raised its fist over its head and brought it down on the champion. Frank yawned at the approaching blow and calmly stepped backwards in the last second. The elemental smashed the ice before it , which sent cracks into the nearby area. Frank easily hopped and skipped on the fallen shards , but his foe fell on its back and followed its feline companion into the water.

"This is too easy…..OWWW! ", stated Frank when suddenly he was pelted by a volley of egg sized rocks. The Champion shrugged and blocked the remaining volley with his shield. " Gonna take more then little rocks to stop me. ", he laughed.

Erland smashed a snake like elemental and shook his head. "They've changed tactics earlier then I suspected. They will attempt to wear us down with skirmishers .", he noted as he swatted a small thrown boulder casually with his axe.

"Meh. At least they are throwing little rocks not boulders. ", shrugged Frank.

A fearsome humanoid boar creature crushed a crudely shaped quadruped creature and then shook her head and grunted. A fist size rock struck her in the shoulder, but the savage bestial champion simply ignored it.

"Hero says they will win this battle of attrition." Translated Surry as she shot her arrow into a small rock throwing beast. The arrow pierced the creature in the chest but it did not seem to slow it down. Another struck its small hand, which shattered it. The creature then attempted to futitely pick up a rock with its remaning appendage but struggled to do so.

Frank glanced at the icebridge, though the surface was now broken, the structure remained intact. "They gonna pound us before they collapse this bridge. Should we ummm…run and fight another day?", noted the Crab Champion as he parried an earthen pincer from a scorpion made of quartz. "Not that I'm afraid or anything wussy like that. ", he added as he sliced off the attacking appendage.

Erland considered that option. He had hoped the elementals would mindlessly swarm them , but that was not the case. They had switched from a direct assault with their infantry to a prolonged skirmisher battle. Though their attacks were less effective, their ranks were virtually limitless. Even though the warriors he was fighting with were all legends in their own right, even he conceded they would eventually be worn down.

Before Erland could make a decision , the icebridge suddenly shook as a large mass crashed into it. Erland glanced and saw a wall of elementals bowled over by what could only be described as a massive blur. As both stone and ice dust settled, Erland could see the ghostly form of a massive mammoth standing before him. A drained but determined warrior poked his head out of the howdah and waved his great bow at his allies.

"Sorry…had some mammoth problems earlier. Hope I didn't miss the party. ", Aethulwulf grinned from above.

* * *

><p>Zax trembled as he held his club in front of him. The Griffon Champion casually sliced the weapon in two with his saber as he walked towards him . Zax scrambled back as he dropped his now ruined weapon, in desperation he threw his plugged dragon golem at the man. The throw was poorly aimed, but Felwind batted it away anyways.<p>

Zax stared at his approaching doom hopelessly. This is not what he wanted. He had hoped to fight an old man not the dangerous sword master before him. With the furry dog sword lost in the snow, and his weapons disarmed or ruined, he guessed he would soon be dead.

Felwind or Stinkcloud or whatever his name was sliced at the tiefling effortlessly and scored strong deep hits against his chest and arm. Only the furry dog armor saved him from the slashes, but the blows still battered Zax about. Another jab by the Champion slipped through the tiefling's mail and impaled him in the bicep, drawing blood and causing Zax to yelp in pain. Stinkcloud could have finished Zax off at that point but instead retreated out of range.

"Enough with the theatrics. You think me a fool? I know you have mastered Hildraxel's gambit. You just wish to lull me into a false sense of security . Draw me forth and wait for me to commit to a lethal attack before countering attacking and striking me down! I will not be defeated by such cheap tricks. Show me your true power…show me Dragon's Flame and battle me like a Champion. ", demanded the Griffon Lord.

Zax suppressed a sniffle. It would be bad form to bawl before his foe. He wasn't trying to lure anyone into anything. He wasn't sure what the man was babbling about but he did mention something familiar…..

Dragon's Flame! Or course ! Though Zax finally. He constantly forgot he carried the artifact blade. The blade was a bit of a blessing and a curse. It obviously had a mind of its own, though it never made its intentions clear. If often made him forget he even had the weapon, and when he did recall , he was only able to draw it a few times. Generally only if his opponent intended to kill him .

Zax grasped the sword and the blade leaped into his hand . The ancient crimson blade erupted into fire and seemed to possess his sword arm. It flashed towards his face and parried a jab by StinkCloud's silver saber.

"Ahh! At last! The source of your power is revealed ! ", shouted Stinkcloud. Before the Champion could gloat , Zax's arm swiftly attempted to strike at his legs. The Griffon Lord barely batted the blow away while throwing a previously hidden dagger at Zax's head. Though Dragon's flame was batted out of position, the blade wrenched Zax's wrist , almost twisting it off , and literally flew before his face to intercept the projectile.

*Clang*

The dagger bounced harmlessly off the blade . Dragon's flame then darted once more towards Stinkcloud. The flaming sword swirled in a broad circle, creating an illusion of a barrier of fire before bursting through it . The move caught the Griffon Champion by surprise and it appeared to have pierced his chest, however the blade passed harmlessly through what appeared to be a phantasm of the old warrior. Stinkcloud appeared again a few feet from where he should have been and slashed at Zax's overstretched armpit. Once again the blade wrenched the tiefling's arm and blocked the strike from a seemingly impossible angle.

"OWW!", declared Zax as he shuffled back, rubbing his twisted arm. Dragon's flame seemed content at the lull in battle and pointed it self several feet to the left of where the Griffon Lord was standing.

Stinkcloud wiped the sweat from his brow and grinned. "Well done ! You do not disappoint ! I see from where you are pointing, you've discerned my true location. Displacement is quite handy, but obviously not against a skill foe like yourself."

As the Champion was finishing his statement, Zax inadvertently lunged forward towards the empty space. Crimson blade met silver saber, as sparks and puffs of flame erupted between the open air. Zax tried to follow the movements of his blade but he couldn't. He was hopelessly forced to do the sword's bidding, but he did manage to add some of Darwen's footwork she taught him to the melee. He felt the blade resist his movements at first, but it quickly relented and allowed the tiefling's brief training to handle the ground work while it twisted and slashed wildly at his foe. Zax's arm felt like it was about to fall off as he matched the Griffon Champion blow for blow .

Though Dragon's flame movement coupled with the tiefling's dance like shuffle was impressive, the Griffon lord was faster. During their clash he managed to strike Zax across the leg , and sliced his cheek. The tiefling under normal circumstances would have rolled to the ground in pain, or clutched his face and sob , but the adrenaline in his blood and the magical blade in his hand compelled him to continue to fight.

Zax knew this would not end well. As powerful as Dragon's flame was, he was not up to fully master it . The Griffon Lord was wearing him down, and he doubt he could over come the Champion's deadly skill in a prolonged battle.

Suddenly an inspiration came to Zax . The tiefling exerted all his will power into his blade . A momentary clash of wills erupted between the wielder and the weapon. Zax felt himself helpless before it but would not submit to it. The world, his friends, and more importantly Darwen was at stake. Though Dragon's flame seemed to relish the battle , the tiefling's conviction and idea subdued it…..for now.

Zax fell back and nodded towards Felwind, tipping his blade to his head in recognition. Felwind took the opportunity to fall back as well and marveled at his bloody handiwork. The tiefling was wounded in three spots now, a few more wounds will wear him down enough to be slain.

"Well done old man. Your bag of tricks is impressive, but I think you are at the end of your rope now. Your blade is quite impressive but you are nothing without it. ", declared Zax haughtily.

Stinkcloud laughed. "No, I believe you are mistaken. You are the one that is nothing without his weapon. I do not believe that honor nonsense about a warrior and his weapon are one. They are tools, and you my friend, have the best tool of the lot. I've read the reports and heard the legends.. You were nothing but a carriage driver before you were given that blade by Roland's shadow. With that weapon , you've began your meteoric rise . You've become a Royal Adventurer and a Champion of the North. I do not begrudge your success, but I do know the source of your power. Your success is solely based on Dragon's Flame , the soul eater, the weapon of slayers. I do not begrudge your power, but consider where you would be without it. "

Zax felt the Griffon's tirade was a personal attack on himself and he frowned. That really hurt his feelings but he calmed himself to follow his original plan. "Your sources seriously underestimate me. You grossly overestimate this hunk of metal's abilities. However…I will indulge your pride. If you think my blade is the source of my power, I will gladly trade you weapons. If its half as good as you think it is and you are a quarter of the skill you think you are, you should easily be able to dispatch me. However, we both know that's not the case. You are nothing but an old bitter man, who lavishes praise on what you own and possess , and sling insults to what you don't." , sneered the tiefling. Without waiting for a response, the tiefling sheathed his weapon and planted it in the snow. He smiled and took a step back , smiling arrogantly while he quivered with fear on the inside.

Stinkcloud laughed, "You know I am a man without honor . I can kill you now , while you are weaponless and defenseless . ", he said as he advanced towards the sword embedded in the ice. Zax noted that though his speech was directed at him his eyes were focused only on the crimson sword.

"Perhaps you can. I doubt it though. I have my vast array of super tiefling powers at my disposal though. ", challenged Zax , knowing full well his ability to raise his skin temperature was a rather useless ability. "If you do not accept my challenge, then I guess I am correct and you are wrong. You will live the rest of your life knowing that even with the soul eater and the weapon of slayers at your disposal , you can not defeat me in a fair fight. ", mocked Zax .

Stinkcloud thought over Zax's words then seized Dragon's flame. He then sheathed his own blade and looked at the tiefling. Instead of throwing his weapon at the tiefling and accepting his challenge, he calmly put it away at his belt. Zax's heart dropped as the warrior approached. " I think my conscience can handle such a burden. ", smiled the old Griffon lord as he advanced towards the now weaponless and terrified tiefling.

* * *

><p>"That's it?", puzzled Kirgi as he began looting the fallen knights. "That tall dark haired chick calls a truce, and we take it? No more fighting, everything forgiven? "<p>

"The dwarf does have a point. ", agreed Petrus as he assisted Sharliss on helping the wounded, " The Order of the Griffon has much to answer for. "

Nymk shrugged, "It was our best option. They still had the edge in battle and their reinforcements were arriving. Not to mention that this was just a small number of their Order. The rest are waiting at Griffon's Aerie. This way we defuse a volatile situation, gain some allies, and save our skins in the process."

"I think this is fortunate for us, but it still feels wrong. She betrayed her father and brother, all for a chance to snatch at power? If Felwind was victorious, she would have more power than any Champion. She could have her pick of countries to lord over in Felwind's stead. ", noted Sarin as he shook his head.

"No….this is not about power, at least not in the traditional sense. This is about freedom, notably her own. She did this to liberate herself. ", said Nymk quietly and solemnly. She would not elaborate further and simply bobbed her head towards the fallen Stormfeather.

"This is all contingent that Lord Felwind doesn't show up and pull rank on his daughter. .", noted Sharliss as she stabilized the wounded Squire Rollo. Ogela kneeled next to him and thanked the priestess silently for her prayers. Halvor dragged the prone body of Kania towards the priestess. Their eyes met and the pair stared at each other in silence. Only the pain gasps from the Lamia's lips broke their concentration.

"Perhaps. One of the reasons that the Griffon Princess had left in haste was to consolidate her power. She will most likely put those that are loyal to her in positions of power. If Felwind is still alive and challenge Lionsong for rulership of their Order there will likely be some conflict. The good news is that if will mainly be an internal conflict, a civil war within their ranks. If Felwind triumphs at least their numbers will be greatly reduced. We should do what we can for the wounded and track the fiend down. Zax, Darwen and Isula might be engaging him as we speak. ", explained Nymk.

Sarin nodded then turned his attention to Kirgi. The dwarf was busy looting the fallen Griffon Prince. "Leave the man alone. Despite his crimes, he was a formidable adversary. His corpse deserves better then having it picked through by scavengers. ", scowled the half elf. As he made the remark, Sarin suddenly recalled something and turned to Sharliss. "Hey…speaking of scavengers. Who is taking care of Freiki? "

Sharliss shook her head mournfully. "Freiki and Lililithy died protecting me in Lord Quick's manor from Stormfeather's troops. ".

Sarin's mood darkened and he turned back to Kirgi. "Forget what I said, loot that bastard's corpse. "

The dwarf grinned and happily resumed his morbid task.

Nymk scanned the horizon for signs of Felwind then motioned her head to an approaching object that drifted silently overhead. "Friends of yours? "

The Skyship hovered overhead before a rope ladder was thrown down at them.

"Ahh…the Proud Imperial. Let us take shelter in its mighty hull before we take our next course of action. ", declared Petrus.

"What about Isula, Darwen…Zax? ", asked Sarin as the group prepared to evacuate.

"Us taking refuge in the Imperial will not change their fates. Besides its better to spot them from the sky I think , than to search on the ground for them. ", quipped Kirgi as he patted his laden bags and began climbing the rope.

"The immediate danger is over. The Orb of storms is not in use. We can use the Imperial and scour this iceberg for Felwind. That is , if Zax hasn't gave the old coot a proper thrashing yet. ", explained Petrus.

Sarin considered the summoner's confident words and nodded. If Felwind dispatched Zax he should have returned by now for vengeance. If Zax dispatched Felwind, he might be engaged in assisting Darwen or was attempting to destroy the Orb as they speak. Sarin wasn't sure if there was a better way to track his friends, and how to help them. He decided the Skyship was as good as any place to start.

* * *

><p>The Grand Champion grabbed a short earthen humanoid by the head. He hefted him over his head and threw him against his fellows. The shot was slightly off due to the nature of the squirming projectile but it struck two more humanoids , sending all three tumbling into the ocean. Despite his small victory the Squirrel Lord knew the battle was far from over.<p>

Erland knew his plan would work. It had to. The tide of elementals marching to Ogremoch's glacier had to be halted, and his band of Champions was the only group that could do it.

He had hoped that they would simply rush them and surround him , thus causing the bridge to collapse from the concentrated weight. His foe had proven too cautious and wary though, not surprising since they were denizens of the plane of earth, creatures known for their endless patience and caution.

The battle hung in the balance as the rock army switched to skirmishers to engage them. They did not concentrate their weight as he had predicted but were instead engaged in a long battle of attrition. The addition of Aethulfwulf and his mammoth momentarily turned the tide, but the elementals still did not commit their forces. They were content to send waves and waves of the smaller stone creatures in loose open formations to wear them down. The elementals were much smarter then he had anticipated.

"Snappy! They are being commanded.". shouted Surry as she came to the same conclusion as Erland had. The half elven wizard proved more effective at handling the skirmishing elementals then their initial wave of infantry and shock troopers. With her bow, and on her demon horse she proved a match for any rock chucking stone man.

Instead of observing her through scent and passive vision, Erland took the time to stare at her and discern her features with just his eyes . He was taken back by her fierce angular face, her lean warrior physique, her sharp tongue and her infamous vicious mean streak . They were just like he recalled 30 years ago , and he admonished himself for not making the connection earlier. He wondered how their lives would have played out if he had found her after the battle. Would he be Grand Champion or would she be the feared Archmage Treekeeper? Would their lives played out as simple mercenaries ?

"Crab Champion one to Squirrel Champion two…do you copy? BzzzT…..", shouted Frank as he spoke in an echoing voice through his shield. " We've seen to have lost him, Flatchest three….Bzzt...", joked the warrior as charged and dispersed a group of the smaller rock throwers.

"Snappy! Pay attention ! I think there is an outside source controlling them! ", shouted Surry again , while ignoring the chattering Crab Champion. " If we find and destroy him we can get the elementals to either rush us and break the bridge ,or disperse. "

Aethulfwulf scanned the horizon from his war howdah and shook his head. "None of them seem unique. ", he said as he continued his withering fire with his bow.

Erland growled as his focus returned. He took a deep breath from his nose and filtered all the scents around him. He could smell the amount of enemies in his vicinity, what they had killed recently , what type of stone they were made of. He could detect the status of his allies and even the creatures in the sea. His strength , speed, and skill were all crucial attributes he possessed that made him an effective Grand Champion but it was his legendary nose that set him apart from the other heroes. He always considered it a gift , but he noted from recent events it could also be a curse.

"Wait….I smell it now. It's not on the bridge with the others…its on the iceberg.", said Erland in surprise.

"Well duh….of course. It's Ogremoch's Iceberg. You are smelling their god . ", scoffed Frank.

"No its not in the iceberg, its nearby.…It's something close to a god, and its moving and on the surface. I also get the scent that its stones are fresh, perhaps it regenerated itself or maybe it reshaped itself. I doubt it is Ogremoch.", noted Erland.

"Close by and behind us? Got it. I'll take care of him, you guys get ready to face the angry elemental bum rush when their hive mind pops. ", smirked the Treekeeper.

"Wait….you can't fight him by yourself. ", declared Erland . Though he regarded Surry as dangerous, he could smell the foe they faced. It had the scent similar to elder elementals but much greater in power . With her spells drained, he doubt the courageous Treekeeper could face it.

"I know Snappy. You know this is the right decision. We need you front line tanks to handle the wave of elementals , else this might all be for naught if they make it to the iceberg. Aethulfwulf is brave and it's a miracle he made it here but he's still weakened . I don't have to defeat him, just distract him. I'm the best choice .", she said in a sorrowful voice . She leaned towards Erland and kissed him lightly on the cheek before her horse jumped away into the heavens. The Grand Champion watched helpessly as she bounded away to her suicide mission.

Hero had assumed almost complete beast form and the massive boar snorted cautiously in approval.

Erland knew she was right. If it had been anyone else, he would have sent them to their deaths without blinking an eye, with Surry however it was different.

Erland gripped his axe and batted away a hurtled stone. "Get ready. Let's not waste her sacrifice in vain. "

* * *

><p>Champion Felwind bristled with power. The storm orb was in his possession, the legendary blade Dragon's Flame was in his hands, and his remaining enemy was cowering before him. No one could stop him, not the accursed Erland, not the glorified Warmaster, not the minions of Ogremoch, and certainly not the whimpering tiefling boy in front of him.<p>

Felwind chuckled at the final obstacle in his path. He had expected an epic battle and for a while he received one. Champion Zax met him slash for slash , parry for parry, riposte for riposte. It was rare for the Griffon Lord to find anyone that was a match for him, outside his fellow Champions, though he expected a lot of the tiefling's skills were the result of his blade. The tiefling's boasts of his own power had gone to his head though, and the braggart foolishly attempted to exchange swords with him to prove his worth. Felwind of course did not play fair , he eagerly preyed on his foe's foolish notion of honor and had outwitted him into disarming himself.

"So trusting, so naïve….so disappointing. ", gloated the Griffon Lord as he advanced towards Zax.

"Listen Stinkcloud….think this through.", pleaded the tiefling.

Felwind stopped. Did this worm just call him Stinkcloud? He thought he called him that earlier but dismissed it as a trick his old ears had played on him , however he heard that last insult loud and clear. He considered sparing Zax and torturing him for his mistakes, but all sense of his warped values of chivalry vanished from the Griffon Lord after that slur. He would simply skewer him and let him die painfully on the ice.

"Look at the big picture. If you try to take over the world with that orb, your enemies will be coming out of the wood work to get you. The elementals, the Champions, the Grommers and I'm sure many others will be gunning for you. You might dodge a few of their attacks, and even reap the treasures of your victory, but someone will be aiming for your hide. You rock the boat, they are gonna rock it right back. " the tiefling attempted to negotiate. The Husky Champion attempted to back away but stumbled on a chunk of ice and fell to the snow. Felwind noted with disdain that a true northerner would be more sure footed then the worm in front of him.

"Perhaps, but that is my lot in life, to meet all challenges and rise to the pinnacle of power. To defeat all my enemies and watch their corpses rot before my feet. Isn't that what being a Champion is all about ? ", chuckled Felwind as he stood over the tiefling. "Regardless of my philosophy…your time is now ended. "

Felwind gripped Dragon's Flame and attempted to draw it, oddly the blade would not budge. He half expected the tiefling to have poisoned the blade, but his seers had provided the Griffon Knights a feast fit for a hero earlier, a magical source of sustenance that gave great courage as well as immunity to poison to its imbiber. The Champion's magically enhanced strength strained at the blade and realized in frustration that it was frozen in its sheath. Did the tiefling lock it with his infernal magic, or perhaps he needed a command word to activate it.

The tiefling warily got to his feet while eying the Griffon Champion cautiously. Felwind hated the cowardly look his foe displayed. Even though he could not draw Dragon's Flame he considered bashing him over the head with it. He raised the sheathed weapon ready to strike but instead found himself inexplicably presenting the weapon to the tiefling.

Felwind stared helplessly as he wondered what was going on.

The tiefling quickly swiped the blade , and attempted to draw the weapon himself. Felwind noted that he struggled with the blade as well. The Griffon Champion wasn't sure what was going on , but he was tired of these foolish games. He would take pleasure in throttling the tiefling to death with his bare hands if he had to. Felwind balled his hand into a fist and punched Zax across the jaw. The tiefling spun helplessly while emitting a high pitched wail, which sound akin to a woman seeing a rat in her kitchen.

Suddenly the world stopped in a moment of flame and steel.

Felwind's world was crushed by fire , pain, and a void as cold as his own black heart. Thousands of his crimes weighed on his soul as he saw the tiefling apprehensively gripping the fiery blade that had embedded into his side. The Champion barely saw the tiefling draw the blade and stab him. He could have parried the weapon, but it was too close and his own weapon was still in its sheath, not to mention the distracting ear splitting scream. He gaped in awe at the Husky Champion's show of celerity.

"I'm …I'm sorry. I didn't mean to …it's the sword. ", apologized the tiefling in a small voice as he stumbled backwards from Felwind. His opponent could have finished Felwind off, but instead he watched in horror as the Griffon Champion fell to the ground.

"This…this isn't over…..", gasped the Griffon Champion as he felt his life draining from him. It wasn't just blood, but his essence, his spirit that was escaping from his wound . He looked at his hand and saw it was withered …withered like his exposed dark soul.

"I didn't want to do that. I just thought you wouldn't be able to draw the sword and we could…umm talk. ", chattered the tiefling annoyingly.

Felwind blocked the babble and searched in his pack. He knew it was the end for him, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. His seers said no one could properly wield the Orb of Storms, but that didn't mean people couldn't activate it.

"My….Doom be upon you….", gasped Felwind as he held the stone sphere aloft. Only a giant of noble blood can properly use the orb, but Felwind channeled all his will into it. Though he couldn't command it, with his last shred of will he managed to unleash it. Dark clouds began gathering above the dying Champion. Hurricane winds and lightning filled the sky as small tornados touched down on the ice.

The tiefling emitted a high pitch wail again and Felwind laughed with a final breath.

Thunder shattered the sky as a bolt of lightning struck and obliterated the Griffon Champion .


	72. Chapter 72

Though she grew up in this terrain, Isula was far from skilled at tracking in it. Sure , she considered herself better than most humans in tundra survival but she knew she was a long ways off from being a qualified scout or a ranger. She admitted that even that idiot dwarf was more suited at the task at hand then she was. She scanned the monotonous jagged ice and saw no sign of Champion Felwind and more importantly the orb he carried.

Isula wondered if her plan would work when she found him. She also wondered if it came to a fight could she actually defeat him? Her pride was already hurting after the beating she took at the monster Iceclaw's hands. From her brief knowledge of the Champion's family, the dull witted oaf was considered the least deadly . She caught a little of Sarin's battle with Prince Stormfeather, and knew he would have been dead if that Lamia creature didn't bring along the accursed ogre mage head. She hated the damn creatures and thought it ironic that one of her most hated enemies proved to have been the down fall of one of her most deadly foes. By judging the two foes she had fought, she assumed that the Champion would be even deadlier.

It was just a matter of conjecture though, Isula didn't plan on engaging the Griffon Lord in hand to hand. With his brother's children safe , Felwind would need another giant of royal blood to activate the orb. She hope to catch him off guard, then use her magic to send the orb and herself far away. She knew , he would probably employ anti magic devices of some sort to control her, but the warping axe was an artifact that would never be impeded by such crude ploys. It seemed a better plan then getting the orb and then tossing it into one of the north's numerous chaos rifts.

The chaos rifts were both a boon and a curse to her people. They were shifting portals that could link to anywhere, but more often than not it lead to some abyssal dimension . They were two way gates that mostly brought demonic invaders through, but on the odd occasion some planar merchant or a rare treasure would come through. The Northern Orders knew little about them, and she guessed their plan on tossing it through it was based on their ignorance . To fling the orb through such a thing was madness , who knew what sort of destruction it could do in the hands of a demon lord .

All these thoughts of chaos rifts and clever tricks were moot however. Isula wondered if it was too late. Did Felwind already defeat Zax and leave this area on his Half dragon Griffon creature? She felt a feeling of dread as she conceded the obvious. It would stymie the elementals' plans but in the end the earthen horde would invade some where else. Perhaps that was his plan. Instead of locking a city down with the Aaapallo Myrskyjen or the celestial orb he could simply destroy it by leading the earthen horde there. The only problem would be the long wait since rock creatures weren't known for their speed.

Isula permitted herself a rare chuckle at the thought of Felwind flying over Grom City and raving like a madman for months before the earthen Armageddon would descend on them.

As Isula smiled at her merry thoughts she spotted blood …lots of it. The small giant hopped nimbly over the icy terrain and was confronted with the shocking sight of the white scaled draconic griffon creature. Its limbs were broken and it appeared its head was caved in by a powerful force. Next to it was the wobbling form of a pony. The creature had huge rends in its side, to the point that some of its ribs were exposed. Large chunks of flesh seemed to have been torn from its haunches and it was covered in dry blood. Even one of its eyes were gouged out. Despite its fatal wounds, the stalwart pony stood and shivered next to the fallen monster.

"By Thryme, Bucky!", she exclaimed as she ran to the poor creature's side. Though she didn't have much in the way of healing magic she intoned a simple spell of false life onto the creature. The pony's single blinked lazily and seemed vaguely unaware of its surroundings.

"You poor beast! ", Isula said in genuine pity. Then the miniature giant stopped as hope was renewed in her. If Felwind's mount was here , dead. Then the Griffon Lord was most likely nearby. She still had no idea where to look for him, but she knew her chances were vastly improved.

As Isula lead the dazed pony through the Tundra, suddenly the clouds suddenly grew dark. Random winds began gusting around her, as cyclones formed and began whipping the ice and snow into a maelstrom. Lightning began arcing from the skies and lit the area around her.

"Some fool attempted to use the orb…..", she whispered in shock. It was draining enough to use the orb even if you are the proper race and possessed the proper lineage, for someone else to attempt activate it would be certain death. It would require tremendous amounts of life energy to begin with to even power the orb , and even more to attempt to command it.

She considered leaving the area with the Warping Axe before a bolt of electricity almost struck her. They crashed all around her and she knew it would only be a matter of time. As she watched the chaotic storm she noted most of the lightning seemed centered around a specific area. She then knew what she must do . Isula gritted her teeth and fought against the winds as she lead the pony towards it.

* * *

><p>"I see no sign of Royal Adventurer Zax or his other missing companions. He will understand my decision." Intoned Magnus solemnly as the Imperial began to rise.<p>

"We can't just leave him here !"argued Sarin . Though the big half elf towered above the Captain , the man seemed to show no hint of intimidation towards him.

" My mission is to secure the lady Sharliss . Since this area is bereft of danger and the Imperial is currently undermanned, it is my decision to take her to Narwhal hold . If my superiors deem it necessary to return to find him, then I will do so. For now though, the Warmaster's daughter and the safety of this ship is my primary concern. As a Royal Adventurer , Zax of all people should know the order of my priorities. ", explained the Captain stiffly.

Adria released an uncharacteristic snicker at the mention of Zax's selfless motivations. Petrus looked at her peculiarly but the eidolon quickly settled into her standard stoic state.

"Set me down then. I'll go find him. ", snarled Sarin. Kirgi and Petrus followed his example and wished to save their lost friend. Ogela seemed content to remain on board the Imperial but watched the proceedings with interest. Kania and squire Rollo were still too incapacitated to move. Halvor wanted to go as well, but he hesitated to leave Sharliss's side.

"I will accompany them as well Captain. I will not abandon those that would risk their lives to rescue me so easily. ", stated Sharliss resolutely. Halvor smiled but remained quiet. His strong presense at her side was enough of confirmation of his motives.

Captain Magnus frowned but sense he could not win this battle. He cared not if the others were kicked off his ship, but guessed the Warmaster's daughter would be a different matter. He could confine her to quarters and place her under guard, but if the Emperor himself couldn't keep her in Grom City, he doubt his marines could keep her on this ship.

"Perhaps a compromise could be reached? " , stated a nondescript steward.

Sharliss blinked her eyes at the man and seemed genuinely surprised to see him. The man smiled and placed himself between the Captain and his guests. "Although Sharliss's safety is paramount to the Captain, it is to Grom's interest to retrieve the Celestial Orb from our mutual foe Champion Felwind. I guess Royal Adventurer Zax is dealing with this personally as we speak, but it would be to everyone's benefit if we assist him. Though the ship is undermanned, I am sure our guests will volunteer their skill at arms and magic to protect it. Ogremoch's Iceberg is large, but several sweeps by the Imperial should not be a problem. If we can not find Felwind or Zax and his friends, we can leave knowing we tried. If we do retrieve him, then we've not only put an end to Felwind's foul plans but we earn the thanks of a Royal Adventurer as well. ", offered the nondescript man.

Magnus scowled but knew there would be no other way. Better to appease the Warmaster's daughter then have her do something else foolish. He looked at the fat half elf and he seemed reluctant to agree as well. Magnus nodded grudgingly in approval.

Sarin sighed. "I guess we will accept this compromise."

"Excellent. I shall inform the pilot immediately. ", stated the nondescript man.

Suddenly , several cracks of thunder could be heard outside the Imperial. The calm tundra weather seem to go mad as lightning , cyclones , and hurricane winds blasted the vessel from all sides. Though the weather should have swatted the skyship from the heavens, Magnus noted something was protecting the ship.

"Rise ! Rise! ", shouted the Captain. His order echoed throughout the ship and the Imperial slowly began its ascent .

He then turned to Sharliss and bowed deeply. " Thank you for your timely protective spells. Though the Republic …err Imperial is warded against most weather, the spells that protect it are no match for this storm. Although I made a bargain with you to find Royal Adventurer Zax and his friends, I am afraid I can not currently honor it. This vessel would not survive in such a maelstrom. Hopefully we can rise above the storm and wait it out, though I doubt anyone could survive long in this tempest .", stated the Captain.

Sharliss returned a confused look but accepted his decision. " Thank you for your honesty Captain. It won't do anyone any good if we all crashed and died. I can not take credit for whatever providence is protecting your vessel, but I do hope it extends to my friends trapped on the iceberg.

Magnus scratched his head. "Wait…if you aren't protecting us…who is?"

* * *

><p>Champion Brita watched as the storm cloud rolled towards Narwhal Hold. The blizzard had stopped , but was now replaced by an even more ominous sight. She magically enhanced her vision with the sight of an eagle and saw in dismay the devastation the massive storm was causing. She guessed in a few hours it would cover the city and who knew what destruction it would cause.<p>

Champion Ivanovic had already signaled the alarm to seek cover, though Brita wasn't sure if it would be enough.

She considered herself a master of magic, but was humbled by the sight before her. She wondered if the Erland and the Grommish expeditions had failed. She wondered if Earl had died.

Brita gave a brief prayer to Mirrodin and hoped for their safe return.

* * *

><p>Earl focused his eyes on the storm or more specifically the wind spirit whirling around the ship.<p>

"Amirah? Is that you?", he asked the winds.

"It is I. It has been a long time Sir Eggbert. ", responded the wind in a low strangely kind whisper that only the ex-assassin could hear.

"Where…how….Reinhardt misses you. ", stated Earl finally . Little could surprise the ex-assassin , but finding his old comrade here in the middle of nowhere did. Though Reinhardt and Amirah were the two most alien of his allies, a shape changing infernal insect and a heroic gust of sentient wind, for some odd reason he found them amongst the most trustworthy and oddly enough the most human. Even his long time ally General Olive he suspected would sacrifice him if it would advance her goals. Reinhardt and Amirah were different though . They were the closest things he could regard as friends before he met the Warmaster and the Mistress of the Lionblade.

Amirah didn't respond at first, and Earl suspected the strain of protecting the ship occupied most of his concentration. As the ship drifted higher , her voice returned. " I assume Reinhard is safe? ", Earl nodded in response. " When Karak defeated and bounded us, he trapped me in a bottle. Although his power is great , his lack of formal education in the magical arts impaired his skill. He thought I was a genie and placed enchantments on me to bind me to an object. Although I am clearly not a genie, my nature is similar enough and his power great enough to trap me. He was disappointed when he discovered I was unable to grant wishes so cast me aside in his treasury. A short time ago , the treasury was raided or broken into by theives. Whatever the reason , I was liberated and have been bound to serve the holder of the object by granting his desires.", continued the voice.

"Wait...I thought you said you can't grant wishes.", puzzled the ex-assassin.

"Correct, but I am bound to attempt to fulfill them regardless. I am not a genie, but I possess the power of the winter winds at my disposal. ", spoke the kind voice.

Earl contemplated her words carefully. "So …where is his object now?"

* * *

><p>Darwen systematically looted Captain Blaze, then found a partial ice blind to hide behind. A part of her wanted to find Zax, but she knew she had to secure a method of escape. Though Felwind's band only had one mount, the grey haired elf knew there was more in the area. Blaze's presence confirmed her fears , and added the danger of the deadly Acheron to the mix. Though she feared for Zax's safety , she was confident that he would somehow prevail. Despite his lack of skills, the tiefling always found a way to win. Be it by dumb luck, his gift of gab, his artifact blade, or more often than not a bit of all three, Darwen was sure Zax would come through.<p>

Darwen had watched Blaze release a flare before she died. The grey haired elf assumed it was to signal the Acheron. Judging by the fact the Captain waited patiently, Darwen guessed that her crew was in the process of retrieving her. In her mind she would overpower the Captain's rescuers , have them take her to the Acheron, then secure passage for Zax and his friends. She approached her plan with some reluctance though. She had no qualms about killing the arrogant Captain, but she had fought side by side with the bucaneers and was averse to turning on them.

The bladesinger waited and as predicted a large rectangular shape skimmed through the skies. From her vantage point she guessed it was some form of magic carpet. As it approached closer she noted there were a half dozen armed buccaneers riding it. A bit more then she hoped for. Darwen gritted her teeth, she had expended much of her magic and still suffered wounds from her battle with the Captain. She had fought with the men against the Saughain and knew it would not be an easy battle.

As she waited for them to approach the sky suddenly erupted into chaos. Random strikes of lightning and wild gusts of wind exploded on the landscape. Darwen watched in shock as the buccanneers were literaly swatted from the sky and slammed into the ground.

She considered her options. She could have flew towards the direction the carpet came from , or even regroup and find Zax or Sarin. Instead she ran towards the bucanneers and see what she could do for them. Even though she had contemplated attacking them, she had fought and bled with them, and decided they deserved her help.

* * *

><p>Pixietrampler bounded effortlessly over the giant Iceberg.<p>

Surry breathed deeply as she attempted to settle her nerves. Everything was riding on her, and her reserves of magic was sorely drained. Erland's plan was a good one, it would destroy the elemental army in one fell swoop if he could get them to congregate. The rock army should have barreled forwards against the Champions, use their superior numbers to surround the small band, pile against them with their superior numbers and mass, and then break the bridge in the process. Their weight should shatter the bridge and send them into the ocean, however something was manipulating them.

Something big and nasty, though the Treekeeper. Most likely an elder elemental , or perhaps something even nastier.

The Treekeeper had faced her share of powerful monsters before, but not without her spells. Knowing the general characteristics of earthen monsters, she knew arrows would not be enough to distract it. She would have to get in close , most likely In melee. It would most likely be the death of her but for some odd reason she felt oddly calm. She found she was more scared about failing than falling in battle.

Some warriors seem to laugh at death, while Surry reserved her laughter for shock troopers, berserkers and the like . She could never understand how some people could throw their lives so carelessly in battle. If a plan called for troops to be sacrificed, she often attributed it to a bad plan. As her own doom approached she suddenly realized why they did it. They either had something dear to them that they don't mind dying for, or they had nothing to live for and death didn't matter.

Surry appreciated Syr's revelations to her , but she admitted it was too much of a strain to bear. She always scoffed at those that followed and seemed to be directed by their hearts, and never thought she would count herself as one of them. However, her alternate future self's revelations about her own life with Erland was too much to bear.

The Treekeeper breathed deeply again and wiped those discordant thoughts from her mind. She readied herself for the upcoming battle.

Pixietrampler snorted in defiance as it sensed the Treekeepers intent. It seemed to relish the chance to battle an elemental demi god in hand to hand. Surry sensed its eagerness to meet death head on and it lightened her spirit. The Treekeeper laughed , if her horse wasn't afraid she decided she shouldn't be either.

As they bounded through the ice, Surry saw the silhouette of her foe. She expected to be watching the battle thoughtfully and manipulating its forces, but instead it seemed to be headed towards a goal. She thought she might be able to strike it from behind when suddenly the sky shattered in a maelstrom of wind , lightning , and cyclones.

Despite Pixietrampler's supernatural ability to leap through the clouds, the horse was caught off guard by the sudden wind. It lost its balance and the horse and its rider plummeted from the sky.

* * *

><p>Zax danced around the ice , weaving and dodging head sized chunks of hail and multiple lightning strikes all around him. The tiefling wasn't sure what was happening. He recalled he was getting ready to beat up an old man, then the geezer proceeded to hand him his ass, later he tried to trick the old man into using a sword that can't be drawn, and before you know it the geezer is dead with his blade plunged into him. Zax panicked. This guys was important, and he was gonna be blamed for his death. It didn't matter if he was a bad guy or not, he was important and someone was gonna pin his death on Zax. Most likely assassins , honor duels and all other sorts of nastiness would plague him.<p>

*CRACK*

Zax twirled away from another bolt of lightning . The wind battered the tiefling, but his lithe form managed to avoid the bulk of its force. The tiefling noted that the maelstrom around him seemed centered on the dead old man.

Zax looked at Stinkcloud, Felwind or whatever the old man was called . He noted that he had been struck by lightning but even in charred death his lips were locked in a cruel smile. He saw a glowing stone sphere laid a few feet from the slain man but was hesitant to approach it.

"Aww no…I'm not that stupid. ", he whispered to himself under the crack of another lightning bolt. "Soon as I pick it up its gonna possess me, suck me into another dimension , link me up with some evil all staring eye and make my presence known to it, or most likely fry me with a gigantor lightning bolt. No way I'm gonna be a slave to some dark lord by picking up this glowing ball. I'm not a stupid halfling or something like that. ", snickered the tiefling.

Zax knew if this was the center of the storm, he had to get away from it. Maybe find Chins and his group and find a way off this hunk of ice. He was pretty swift and nimble but either a fist size chunk of hail or worse lightning would strike him.

"Bucky! ", shouted Zax in hopes of reuniting with his mount. He doubted the sturdy beast could hear him, but maybe it had super pony ears or something. Animals were suppose to have better senses then people right? They could see danger, smell trouble, taste fear, and hopefully hear tieflings screaming for help.

As Zax wailed into the storm, the ice shook around him. The tiefling looked up and saw a towering slab of stone above him. Zax was paralyzed with fright at the thought of this monstrous creature turning him into a pancake under its feet. Two monstrous bears made of stone flanked its side as the creature thankfully ignored the tiefling.

Zax scrambled away from their path as the creatures stomped past him. As the creature's neared the old man's dead body they stopped. The earthen bears roared a challenge against the storm while the earthen titan advanced.

Suddenly out of nowhere a sharp voice rang through the tundra. One of the bears was hefted skywards seemingly by a spear and tossed to the side. The ice where it landed cracked and the earthen creature tumbled down either a crevase or the mountain side. Zax had been on this ice for awhile now and didn't realize they were so close to a ledge. The white one white had the effect he supposed.

The other bear turned to face its attacker and scrambled to meet its new foe. Zax saw it was the giant form of Isula . She was locked into the battle with the bear and the pair rolled on the ground. Zax could barely make the pair out through the random gusts of sleet and snow. Though he couldn't see them clearly their titanic clash shook the ice he stood on.

The tiefling noted that the monolith humanoid ignored the two struggling giants and seemed focused on Stinkcloud's body. His mind screamed for him to run, but the tiefling found himself running towards Isula and the bear.

* * *

><p>"So you're telling me you woke up , alive and being tended to by a blind cleric. Afterwards you were in a life and death battle with a giant mythic squid, while thousands of giants stormed Narwhal Hold. ", asked Kirgi in amazement.<p>

"Yeah, that's pretty much how it happened.", shrugged Petrus while watching the storm rage below them.

"Well that's pretty far fetched, almost as crazy as how I blew 5000 gold on booze and whores in Grom City in one night. ", chuckled Kirgi in return.

The grim faced summoner cracked a smile at the dwarf.

"Well, regardless of how this turns out , lets celebrate! Believe it or not I had this special booze I recovered from that scavenged treasure in the Shattered mountains. I thought someone drank it all, but I guess it's a magical bottle or sumthin cuz it somehow refilled itself. ", declared the dwarf as he pulled out an ornate bottle filled with blue liquid.

Before the dwarf could open the bottle , a nondescript petty officer from the Imperial appeared. The dwarf scowled at being interrupted but his anger faded when he saw he was carrying several bottles of wine and a deck of cards.

"Compliments of the Captain. ", said the man as he presented the pair with the wine.

"Damn, I thought I had you Grommers figured out, and you surprise me with free hootch. Sweet. ", exclaimed the dwarf.

"Your tall companion told me you two like to gamble. Since we have a lull in battle, perhaps we can partake in a game of chance. Lueder's holdem perhaps? ", continued the man as he poured the pair some drinks.

Petrus snickered. He enjoyed it when his opponents thought games of chance were dictated by luck. "I'm in. I need some light relaxation after all this. ", agreed the summoner.

"A dwarf won't shy away from cards, even if we don't know how to play. Deal'em Grommer. ", stated the dwarf boldly.

The nondescript man smiled and began to deal when the trios concentration was suddenly broken by a crash of thunder from below.

Petrus shook his head at the development. "I hope Zax is ok down there. Out of any of us, he's the most likely to survive with his Hero abilities and all, but that storm is a mess."

Kirgi nodded in agreement. "Aye. I hope he's alright as well. I wish him the best of luck down there. "

Nondescript man's eyes grew wide, as suddenly a gust of wind seemed to envelope the dwarf and sent him crashing upside down. Kirgi was spun helplessly on his head before the wind vanished leaving the dwarf confused and sore on the Imperial's deck.

"Normally this happens after I drink not before. ", grumbled Kirgi as Petrus helped him up.

The nondescript man sighed at the turn of events.

* * *

><p>"Slow down there Squirrel man. You're starting to scare me." , commented Champion Frank as he blocked a small boulder with his shield.<p>

Hero in full boar form snorted in approval as she waited patiently to deal with the skirmishers.

Erland however paid them no heed and was in the elemental's midst. He seemed to disregard his own safety as he charged the skirmish line , daring them to surround him . Although the Grand Champion had dealt grievous casualties to the rock man skirmishers, they did not take the bait and was happy to disperse and pepper Erland with attrition tactics.

Erland did not care at this point. His tactic had failed, and now the only woman he ever cared for was sacrificing herself for the sake of his plan. Although he was married, his relationship with his wife was a loveless one , it was a matter of convenience for two powerful political families in the Squirrel Order. Surry however made him feel alive. Even their awkard alliance for the last few months brought more joy to his old warrior heart, than his wife of twenty five years had ever achieved.

He resolved if they ever survive this, he would leave everything and make things right with Surry. It was an empty promise though, as he had doubts any of them would live through this.

As the skirmishers scattered and started to regroup again, Erland took the opportunity to fall back to his lines as well. The elementals seemed to be frustrated by his attacks and one of the larger ones heaved a boulder at the Grand Champion. Erland simply hefted his axe and struck the boulder in mid flight shattering the projectile before it struck him. The smaller stones bounced off his armor and his thick hide, but Erland noted it still wore him down. He should have simply avoided the rock and let the boulder pound the bridge some more, but the Grand Champion admitted he wasn't thinking straight at the moment. He was running out of time, and there were so many things he needed to make right.

As the Grand Champion began to despair , suddenly the skies grew dark. A torrent of lightning , hail, winds and ice battered the Champions and their Earthen foes. Erland noted the stone soldiers were being dispersed as their ranks were being raked by lightning. Since the Champions were a much smaller group, they avoided the electrical fury of the storm. For now.

The elementals maintained their order despite the lightning striking them all along the bridge. Erland guessed Surry had not completed her mission and something else had entered the fray .

* * *

><p>Zax wasn't sure what he was going to do when he reached Isula and the stone bear. He struggled to recall, but noted that Dragon's Flame was back in its sheath. His club was sliced to ribbons, his dragon golem spoiled by an arrow, and the sword of the furry dog was lost in the snow. The tiefling wondered if he was going to simply batter the bear with his fists or maybe attempt to trip him up with his body. Regardless of his poor choice of options, he couldn't stand back and watch the poor miniature delusional giant girl be torn apart. More importantly , if Isula was really some form of frost giant, she would be his best bet to get off this iceberg.<p>

As Zax approached he noticed Bucky sitting wobbly nearby . His heart lightened as thoughts of rescuing Isula faded. He could hop on Bucky and flee. He saw Bucky survive in the water after it was pushed over into the jaws of hungry sharks, surely his noble steed could survive swimming to shore form the iceberg.

Zax altered his course, when suddenly a gleaming silver sliver broke through the darkness of the storm. A silver blade flew into his hands from the winds, and the tiefling was astonished to see the blade of the furry dog once more in his hands.

"What the?", wondered Zax as he gazed at the serendipitous turn of events. As he ran with the blade, the tiefling tripped on the ice and was sent sprawling into the bear. He attempted to brace against the fall and managed to nick the beast with his blade. The bear turned towards the tiefling more out of curiosity from the unexpected attack than from actual injury. That was all the distraction Isula needed however as the prone giant managed to grasp her grappler's head and pry its jaws apart with her prodigious strength. The earthen creature's jaw broke off, but it didn't seem to impair it much. It turned its attention back to the pinned giant and attempted to maul her with its shattered mouth. Zax noted it only ended up giving her what looked like a comical kiss.

For lack of anything better to do, and perhaps a slight concern for the often mouthy giant, Zax stabbed the beast again with his blade. Even though Zax wasn't strong, the blade was magically sharp and managed to pierce its hide. The earthen bear's attention focused on the new opponent , giving Isula a chance to counter attack from the ground. With her foe literally missing its teeth, the giant was able to strike back more aggressively. The giant managed to grasp each one of its paws and with a mighty rolling action reversed their positions on the ice. While atop the now prone bear, the giant wasted no time in summoning her spear from the impaled earth creature to her hand. Lifting the spear over her head she brought it down with all her might onto her pinned foe.

"Thanks….", gasped the giant as rivets of red bled from her. Zax thought it a stark contrast to her pale white skin.

Zax gave her a thumbs up as he hurried to his pony and prepared to ride away. He frowned as he noticed Bucky was the worse for wear. It would be hard to sell him on the pony resale market. He also noticed that for some strange reason the winds and storms were not battering him anymore. As he neared Bucky he also saw the large monolithic elemental had reached Felwind's corpse. It reached down and plucked the glowing stone sphere from the ground.

"No…..", gasped Isula in shock.

The creature rumbled a laugh that sounded like an earthquake at its triumph…..

Then a bolt of lightning , that literally illuminated the dark sky, struck it and shattered what could have been its head.

The creature stumbled back with the orb still in hand, before another bolt struck it in the leg. Despite its supernatural toughness, the orbs lightning proved stronger as its massive mammoth like leg was vaporized. The elemental lurched for a few seconds before it shifted its mass and somehow regain its balance. It resmembled something close to a stone pillar now as it supported itself on one leg.

Isula growled and threw her spear at the elemental, striking it in the midsection. Though her weapon only pierced its hide slightly, the force of her attack caused the creature to lose its balance and slam into the ground , shattering itself in several pieces.

Zax shook his head, " Pffft…..I knew touching the sphere would have been a bad move. "

* * *

><p>The elemental ranks was thrown into chaos. Erland was taken back as his enemy changed its tactics and charged him in a massive tide of earth, stone and rock. The smaller skirmishers were trampled as the massive elementals rushed him . The Grand Champion braced for the attack when suddenly a loud<p>

*CRACK*

filled the air.

The bridge snapped quicker than he had expected and countless elementals were thrown into the churning ocean. Those that didn't seemed trapped on various pieces of the breaking icebridge. Some were blown off by the wind, while most lost their balance and tumbled into the sea to follow their fellows. Erland escaped their fate by hopping onto Aethulwulf's mammoth, while he noted Hero had reverted herself back to human form and nimbly climbed aboard Molly the dragon with Frank.

Surry had done it. She had destroyed the force directing the elementals.

The ghost mammoth and the dragon took to the skies in search for their victorious companion, but the winds proved too strong.

"We have to fly over this! ", shouted Frank over the roaring winds. Aethulwulf nodded weakly in agreement, and Erland saw that the Mammoth Champion was nearing his limit.

Erland smelled , scanned, and listened to the iceberg a final time. The storm spoiled even his acute senses. With a weary heart he agreed and the Champions escaped the storm's wrath.

* * *

><p>"Don't touch that orb! ", shouted Zax as Isula scooped it up. With the bears and big rock guy dispatched the giant reverted to her short teenage girl size. The tiefling expected the girl to be blown to bits like the Griffon Champion or the large rock man, but strangely the orb dulled its glow and seemingly shrunk slightly in her grasp. No lightning had struck her while in her hand.<p>

"Make the storm stop! ", shouted Zax but Isula shook her head.

"Once activated the storm will last an entire day. It is basically the orb's power unleashed without focus, it will ravage everything in its path. ", she said sadly while turning north ward.

"Yes….I suspected as much . ", said a weary elven voice. Zax immediately noted that it didn't come from Darwen or Ogela. He turned around and saw the Treekeeper chick that hung out with Sharliss in the Champion's meeting. She claimed to be her sister or something, though Zax saw no resemblance. Sharliss was attractive despite whatever form hiding clothes she wore, while this woman was something more akin to a scarecrow with pointy ears. Her robes were torn and she looked quite battered. Behind her was a large blue grey horse that seemed wounded and beaten as well. " Your beloved Frosthaven will be reduced to rubble if we can't stop the orb. Not to mention us as well. I doubt even magical protections can withstand the unleashed might of the orb.", the elf added towards Isula.

Isula regarded the stranger suspiciously but nodded in agreement. "The Griffon Champion must have been strong indeed to activate the orb, but his life is now forfeit. Ours are most likely as well unless we can escape. The orb's wrath is most likely covering the entire north by now. "

Surry sighed. "My magic is drained, and even Pixietrampler can't escape the storm's might. Even though the orb's might is temporarily halted its growing effects, it will still likely kill us."

"Even with the Jotun relics I am powerless to save us. I can attempt the warping axe again, but I've already used it today. Its effects and my recent battles have drained me. I can make the portal for you two, but it will most likely spell your doom . The other relics are useless, the Aegir, the horn of Hafgufa , the…..", began Isula but was interrupted.

"Wait….did you say Half goof ball? ", asked Zax with a raised eyebrow.


	73. Chapter 73

"That concludes my report sir. ", Magnus said curtly. Even though the room was quite luxurious and opulent it paled to the extravagances of some of the Royal Adventurer offices the captain had been in.

Reinhardt sat on his carved wooden chair and considered Magnus's report. The captain noted that it seemed the most simple of this room's furnishings but it also dominated it the most. "So there was no trace of the Orb of Storms, Felwind, or Zax. ", the head Royal Adventurer asked again.

Magnus frowned. As a Captain of the prestigious Grommish Skyfleet, Magnus had the opportunity to engage with many high ranking admirals, governors and Government officials. He never had a meeting with Chancellor Karak though , and this was the first time he dealt with the new head Royal Adventurer. Already he could tell he was making a bad impression. The fact he was questioning his report did not bode well.

"No sir. The storm erupted suddenly, and exponentially at first. After a few minutes its fury was….reigned so to speak. It did not vanish , but it was slowly subsiding. Despite our best viewing lenses and scouts we could not see anything. We did pick up Grand Champion Erland and his party. We knew they were in the area and they seemed battered by the storm. Although we were not obliged by any treaty , we extended them sanctuary as a courtesy. We maintained a safe observation distance above the maelstrom, and after roughly 24 hours we were able to inspect the iceberg. There were no signs of the aforementioned Zax , Felwind, or Orb. Even with scrying and divination magic our reconnaissance was foiled. ", explained Magnus once again.

"I see, most likely due to the Icebergs inherent anti magic and magic draining properties. ", replied Reinhardt with a sigh. He considered the Captain's statement carefully. He then held up an ancient blue bottle and nodded. " My other sources confirm your report. The emperor is pleased with your mission and your tactful handling of the Champions. It will help pave relations with the northlands and keep our trust with the Warmaster for years to come. "

Magnus was pleasantly surprised at Reinhardt's last statement. He half expected a reprimand for losing Royal Adventurer Zax , he did not expect to receive the Emperor's favor. Although he literally threw the annoying tiefling overboard, he was fully prepared to suffer the consequences of his actions.

"Sir. I heard that Treekeeper Surry of the Ice elves was in the maelstrom. She did not return with Grand Champion Erland's group but I assume she made her way back with her magic. I am sure she can shed additional light on what happened there, but I am not privy to her knowledge. ", added the Captain.

Reinhardt nodded. "Yes. So I've heard. Well done Captain Magnus . You are dismissed."

Magnus saluted crisply, rose out of his chair and began to leave the room.

"Captain. One more thing. The Emperor has decided to bless you with a small boon for a job well done. I've read your previous reports and…..complaints. I've decided to take the liberty and use his favor to grant what I believe you want. ", noted Reinhardt with a smile.

"Eh? ", responded the confused Captain.

"Thank me later, when you resume your command of the Republic. ", smiled the head Royal Adventurer.

* * *

><p>"You've returned! ", shouted Erland in unrestrained joy. The massive warrior literally shoved his aides and commanders aside as he ran to hug the haggard looking Treekeeper. The gathered warriors gave a knowing sigh and retreated from the tent , less they anger their leader.<p>

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do !", chuckled Frank as he vacated the tent.

"By your command Grand Champion.", noted the newly appointed Champion Lionsong.

As the warriors, knights and commanders left the war tent of Erland, Surry smiled and pushed back the big warrior. "Down boy. Down! ", she said with a slightly sad smile.

"I …I thought you were dead ! ", exclaimed Erland.

"By all rights I should have been. ", replied an exhausted Surry. The thin half elf motioned for a chair and the Grand Champion promptly retrieved her one, nearly knocking down a table and a chest in the process. After sitting down Surry threw a lemball sized sack on the displaced table.

"Thanks Snappy. To make a long story short, the orb …..it's out of our hands and definitely out of Ogremoch's minions reach now. Felwind is slain, by the hand of Zax. I brought his head as proof. ", she stated while pointing to the sack.

Erland retrieved the sack and looked in it. He gave a boyish grin at the contents. "Never seen that old geezer look better. "

"I assume everything is back to normal?", asked Surry with a slight grin.

Erland waved his hand dismissively. "As normal as it gets. The Griffon's honor has been restored; the remaining giants have retreated north. We expected them to break apart, but our spies confirm that they have a new leader. We briefly debated in attacking them , but this new warlord seems content to retreat back to their own lands. "

"Back to Frosthaven?", inquired Surry.

"Aye. When the elemental army broke off their attack, they left a sizeable screening force to pin the Warmaster and the crab forces there. When you slew their leader, the elementals went berserk and lead a fierce but ultimately doomed attack on the giant city. The Warmaster was of course victorious, but large parts of the city were destroyed. The Order of the Crab won great honor that day, and there's talk about elevating them to one of the Great Orders. Their numbers rank almost as high as the Snowlion and Griffon these days.", responded Erland.

"Enough mindless political chatter, I want to make things right between us. I love you, always have. I'll drop everything; I'll abandon my title if I have to. I..I'm sorry for not recognizing you. I….", began Erland in a slight stutter. The normally confident and overbearing Champion seemed to have lost his normally iron composure before the Treekeeper.

"No Snappy. No need for apologies. I didn't recognize you either at first, and unlike you I rely on my eyes. As for you abandoning your post, I will not allow that. We've both worked too hard for it. You are the only stable force in the north right now, you want an enforced peace to achieve an age of steady prosperity. That's something we can't give up. Imagine what would happen if ….Frank or someone like that was in charge. You're the only one with political pull competent enough for the job. As for loving me…..Snappy, you're the only one that I've ever loved as well. However, that was a long time ago and we both grew past that. Don't deny that, if we never encountered each other we would have continued our lives in innocent bliss. If we resume our affair, only disaster would come from it. People would say I seduced the Grand Champion to advance my people's standings. All the honor my people won, would be lost and we'll be right back to the bad old days of Sir Hildraxel. As for yourself, I know your marriage is only a political arrangement to bind the Squirrel clans together. If you abandon your wife for me then only civil war will ensue. We both know, despite our current cooperation against the Griffon and Giants the Orders would like nothing better than to renew old rivalries. Even kind hearted Aethulwulf wouldn't be above to supporting a side in any internal struggle of their rivals the Squirrel. I cannot allow that. ", said Surry softly as a gentle tear rolling down her cheek.

Erland looked at her stunned. He wanted to argue but the words wouldn't come out. He simply sat on the dirt floor and stared at the Treekeeper with a powerless expression.

" I'm sorry Snappy, but it's the right course. Look at the way they were staring at you, at us, when I came in the tent. They already suspect this. The well-being of my people comes first. They've suffered too much for too long, to have their dreams of resettling their homelands be dashed just because of a rekindled romance. To preserve your reputation, I will step down as Treekeeper. My mother is the true Princess of the Ice elves anyway , she will take command or at least protect them till they find another Treekeeper. ", said Surry in shaky voice.

Erland looked up . A bit of his sadness seemed dispelled as some of his political savvy returned. "Wait, a serving Champion can't be the head of a political state. There's going to be protests. "

Surry shook her head and snapped her fingers. The massive compiled laws of the North appeared before her. "I did some research. During the first crusade, several Champions conquered many minor kingdoms in their push to the south, and had themselves installed as their rulers. The law specifically states that a Champion could serve both roles as long as the codes of loyalty and honor are followed. I found nothing contradictory between the elven laws and the Snow lions. In fact they are both very loosely based and subject to broad interpretation, so it should be fine."

Erland looked at her intently then laughed. "and…that my dear Surry, is why I love you . ", he said with a sad chuckle.

Surry sighed and hugged the big Champion. She then placed an amulet in his hands. "I'll always love you as well. If you ever need me, just speak into the amulet. Unless you are in the Glacier of Ogremoch, Almarth, the Great Plateau, or some other hellish anti magic zone , I'll come for you. "

Erland looked at her and grinned. He then took the amulet and placed it to his dry cracked lips. "I need you . ", he whispered.

Surry laughed and placed a ward on the tent. "Just this once….only for tonight. ", she smiled as she fell into his waiting arms.

Regardless of their problems, the pair ignored them as they enjoyed each other's embrace.

* * *

><p>"It seems I'm always embracing Surry's problems. ", complained Brita uncharacteristically as she scanned a large map .<p>

"Yes that girl is always up to no good and causing headaches for her mother. Most irresponsible person I've ever met. ", joked Earl as he balanced three knives on top of each other .

Brita frowned. "No it's not like that. I'm proud of what Surry has done, but it couldn't come at a worse time. She did something I could never do, save and redeem our people, but she's asking a lot from me. I'm the new Champion of the Snow Lion now. Although by some legal loophole I'm now the Princess of my people, my loyalties lay with my Order first. I need to pick a new Treekeeper , begin the long process of getting them accepted , as well as figure out a way to raise the Snow Lion troop levels. Although we won the most honor battling the giants, we took the most losses as well. Even if the other Orders do not take advantage of our precarious position, the dangers of the north are always at our doorstep. ", exclaimed the Champion in frustration.

"I always see the perfect battle hardened you, I seldom see the frustrated confused you. ", remarked the ex-assassin. "I like it! ", he smirked.

Brita waved her hand and a small spectral cat appeared and leaped at the precariously balanced daggers. The blades were scattered, but the nimble duelist easily caught one with his finger, and then proceeded to catch and the balance the other two on the dagger's edge.

"You're no help at all. ", she scoffed with a grin.

"Oh my dear, but I am. As a Grommer I am well accustomed to the assimilation of conquered people. Though the Ice elves are not enslaved, the fact you are now their monarch makes it a moot point. The Snow Lion needs troops, and the ice elves want to integrate. Just start knighting elves into your order, specifically the ones that fought bravely with the Snow Lion during the battle. Knights can question one's race, but not ones bravery. You will thereby strengthen your knights and add a hefty dose of archery and magic to your forces. ", drawled Earl.

Brita regarded his suggestion coolly as she played with her spectral cat. "You make it sound so easy. It will be a lot of work to pull this off, it won't happen overnight. Also only a select few will be accepted, my Order has high standards. "

Earl nodded, "Yes, but it's a start isn't it. Also, I heard you have a pretty good assistant working with you now. "

Brita laughed. "Don't believe everything you hear. He has his good points, but I heard he has trouble holding down a job."

* * *

><p>"You've only had one job to do and you failed miserably. ", scowled the Seneschal of Linel.<p>

Sarin sat uncomfortably in a chair that was too small, "Sorry sir. Umm….Err….my bad….", apologized the big half elf. Even though he was being debriefed by one of the highest knights in his order, the paladin's mind was on more personal thoughts. During the last little while, he thought he had forged an unbreakable bond with the lovely lady Nymk . Unfortunately when the Grand Champion needed her, she answered the call and resumed her position as the Emerald Arbiter. Sarin claimed he understood her devotion to duty, but secretly he was broken up inside.

The Seneschal shook his head. "All you had to do was ensure the safety of the Warmaster's daughter. By your own admission you were kidnapped then you chose to aid a friend instead of seeing to your charge's safety. Although Linel encourages helping the weak, the execution of a sacred quest must take precedence to all. That is what your initiation quest is all about, it's about testing your ability to follow through with orders. You of all people know that as a militant order, we must follow orders on the field, follow the greater plan and ignore deviations. The quest is an assessment of your commitment to a higher cause. Though some courses of actions seem correct, they only hurt the overall cause of justice."

"I'm sorry sir. I did what I thought best. ", apologized Sarin.

"What about the…. creature that followed you? We've all heard tales of your …"exotic" affairs at the paladin hall. I never thought you would bring one of them here. ", commented the Seneschal coldly.

Sarin looked confused, "Oh..Kania? She's cool. Don't worry about her. "

The paladin lord frowned, " The only reason I do not kill her is that I trust your judgement, and she hasn't done anything to betray our trust. ", replied the Seneschal as he peered out a window. A group of young boys were gathered around the disguised lamia and she seem to glow from their attention.

Sarin spotted the scene as well and waved her away angrily. Kania of course didn't understand his meaning and instead waved back in a friendly manner.

Sarin sighed, "Well you know….if I got a straight forward quest, like recovering a magic shamagick chalice, or slaying a dragon , it would have been a piece of cake. I would be a full fledge knight by now. ", complained the paladin.

The Seneschal shook his head. "Protecting a sacred charge is a noble endeavor. In fact , if I recall, the blessed Lady Tsaca bestowed this quest upon you. "

"Yeah…thanks mom….", grumbled Sarin under his breath.

"Though you have failed in your duties, Lady Sharliss did not suffer any harm from your actions. Also your dedication to justice and your formidable martial prowess has weighed well in your favor. ", continued the paladin lord.

Sarin stared at the Seneschal, "Wait…what are you saying? Am I being given a second chance? That would be great but Sharliss is with her ummm….new guardian right now. I don't think it will work out, but I'll stomach being a third wheel to show my dedication to Linel. "

The paladin lord shook his head, "No , that will not be your quest. "

Sarin's expression turned to one of joy. "All right. What do you want me to kill? The Cyclops of the Shattered mountains? How about that dragon , Dalton the Red…there's a guy that needs killing for a long time. "

The Seneschal shook his head, "No , your quest will be similar to the original one decreed by your mother. The Northern Orders are growing in influence in Grom, both commercially and militarily. We need someone to escort their ambassador and serve as a liaison. Basically some stuffy old knight, A Lord Namak or something needs a babysister. "

Sarin rolled his eyes but bowed his head . "Yes sir. I will not fail this time. "

As the half elf left the Chapterhouse of Linel he sighed at his new duties. Guarding Sharliss was a test of his patience and he suspected his mother tasked him to that duty to build up his perseverance. It wasn't all bad though, during his three years with her, he found her interesting and akin to a younger sister. This new Lord Namak guy though, he sounded like a boring charge. Probably some old geezer knight that was too useless in the battlefield so Erland sent him down here to keep him out of trouble. Sarin grumbled but swore to Linel that he would make the best of it.

As the big paladin brooded, his concentration was broken by a light kiss on the left cheek. He faked turning left, but instead lunged to the right and caught the laughing squirming Nymk in a hug. The two paused and stared at each other silently before engaging in a long passionate kiss.

"Missed me? ", teased the swords woman as she finally came up for air. Sarin noted she was unusually garbed in tribal furs and a bronze tiered head dress. It seemed more suitable for a barbarian chieftain or princess.

Sarin nodded then gave her a confused look. "Wait….Lord Namak?"

Nymk gave him a disapproving look and shook her head, "You Grommers always pronounce things wrong. Please….its Lady Nymakku ." , she replied and broke out in a wide grin. "I hope you will execute your duties well. I need someone to watch over me…especially during the lonely nights."

* * *

><p>Rollo pleaded again to Ogela. "What about your duties? " The recently promoted knight was in his compatriot's small spartan tent, attempting to convince her not to leave their Order.<p>

"Our duties ended when Zax perished. Since he was the Champion of the Husky , his death signalled the end of the order. There are no Knight Commanders or even fully fledged knights to take his place. ", explained the elf matter of factly.

"Grand Champion Erland said he will not dissolve the Order . In light of our service he will promote us to knights. If we can find a suitable replacement for our fallen lord we can re-establish our honor. ", continued Rollo.

Ogela took the young squire's hand and lead him to a simple wooden bench. Rollo's cheeks flushed at the intimate contact as he stared into her eyes. " Look Rollo, I know it's your destiny to reform the Order of the Husky, but it's my destiny to be with my people. I would never leave the Orders for my exiled people, since collectively they are my family and my soul. However Champion Brita has put out the call and the Order of the Snowlion is reforming its ranks. They are actively recruiting elves to cement the bond between the Order and my exiled tribe that has returned to their lands. Not many of us are qualified to meet their strict standards, but I however am. I figure only a dozen of us will be accepted, but we are needed to pave the way for others. I accept your role, and I hope you will accept mine.", explained the sorrowful elf.

Rollo sighed and agreed reluctantly. "Regardless of what Order we end up in , we'll still be friends right? Even if we meet on the battle field? "

Ogela gave a spritely laugh at the suggestion, "Of course. I will seek you out first and we will duel like old times. "

Rollo smiled at the suggestion and bid his friend farewell. He still had many unresolved feelings for her, but now was not the time. She had to rebuild the Order of the Snow Lion, while he had to recruit for the Husky. Perhaps in the spring he'll talk to her.

* * *

><p>"So you think I have enough cash to last me to spring? ", asked Kirgi as he threw a fish overboard to his waiting dolphin. The dwarf , the summoner, and his eidilon Adria were on the upper decks of the Sadaharu as it made its way to Lower Lueders. Even though they had just avoided a magically created blizzard, the season would soon turn to winter. Though most druids predicted a relatively mild season that won't create any ice bridges for an army of elementals to tromp through, the northern oceans would still be hazardous to any travel.<p>

"More than enough I think. ", responded Petrus while shaking his head.

"So , my plans are already set. Drink , whores, gambling …then drink some more . Since Zax is gone I have to drink and whore for the both of us, till my cash runs out of course. In the spring I might hook up with Halvor again if he does the caravan thing. You got anything going on? ", asked the dwarf.

Petrus shrugged. " Our orange friend is just missing. I'm sure he'll turn up . I myself have had many offers from various knights that have seen me in action. Most are now members of private armies or mercenary companies and are willing to pay top coin for a battle hardened arcane caster. However, I have been in contact with several knights that claim to have a map to a lost treasure in the Shattered mountains. They unearthed it during the giant raid, its suppose to lead to a hidden cache buried…", began the summoner but was quickly interrupted.

"Say no more. I'm in! ", declared the dwarf.

Petrus scoffed at his friend. "What about the Drinking…the all-important whoring… games of chance, and I do believe more drinking? Will you abandon your life goals for more useless coin?"

Kirgi laughed, "Pffft….I can do that stuff at home. I think now is the time to step out of the dark and into the spot light. Trust me buddy, you and me were made for the adventuring life. "

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is the life you want?", asked the half naked priestess timidly.<p>

Halvor smiled at Sharliss as they reclined on their small bed. "I can't think of anything I want more. ", responded the big knight.

Though they were given a state room in the Sadaharu it was still small and cramped especially for Halvor's big frame.

"I mean…I won't look this way forever. I 'll be an old hag soon. ", teased Sharliss.

Halvor nodded," I know , I know. When you met Lilithily she put the seed in your mind that your accelerated aging might slow down. It hasn't and it seems you might have only 10 maybe 20 years left. That's fine, two or three with you is better than most men deserve. ", stated Halvor as he slowly ran a finger down her neck.

Sharliss arched her back at his touch. "I'm serious . Do you want to be like one of those forlorn elves that took a human lover and mourn for centuries after their death? ", responded the priestess in a half serious tone.

Halvor chuckled, "To tell you the truth, considering the dangers we've both been through recently, I doubt either of us will die of old age. Life can be short and brutal up in the north, I just want to share whatever solace I can find with someone special. I thought of you constantly during my travels, and from last night's little rendezvous I see that you thought of me as well. Nothing will make me happier or more complete if you agree to be my wife. ", state the knight with as much conviction as he could muster while naked on a bed that was too small for him.

Sharliss purred and nestled her delicate head on his chest." I knew you would ask that. My parents already agreed. ", she cooed smugly.

Halvor was a bit taken back and for a second panic set in. He reminded himself that her father was the legendary Warmaster of the North and the thought of meeting him in person unsettled him. " Wait…shouldn't I at least meet them before they pass judgement on me. ", he asked as he contemplated her statement.

Sharliss looked up and smiled. "You've already have. You made a great impression apparently."

Halvor scratched his head confused. He did not recall meeting any legendary warlords recently. "Oh well, its lucky my father passed away. It wouldn't be easy getting his permission. His prejudice against tieflings embarrasses me."

Sharliss shook her head. "Oh I talked to him as well, he was one of the prisoners that we rescued from the Sahaugin. Apparently Zax gave him a muffin or something and his views on Tieflings changed favorably after that. I discerned who he was when I tended his wounds and told him how I know you. He said his idiot son would be a fool to let a catch like me slip away. I would have mentioned he was alive earlier, but I forgot in all the excitement."

Halvor smirked, "That does sound like him. I assume he's back at Veb now?"

Sharliss nodded. "His ship left Narwhal hold a while ago, I believe they slipped out right before the giant raid. "

The big knight breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped his arms around the lithe priestess.

"I hope Zax is alright. It didn't seem like it was his time. ", the big knight said solemnly.

Sharliss shook her head, "I don't know how, but I don't think it can just end like that. Zax, Darwen, even Isula are more resourceful than that. "

Halvor considered her statement and made no reply. He simply gently brushed her long blue hair .

"Umm…about last night. Sorry I chipped one of your horns against the head board. I'm still trying to figure things out with you.", apologized the big knight.

Sharliss giggled, " I think it will grow back, if not I saved the piece and I can try gluing it back on. I'm sorry for the claw marks on your back and the bite mark on your arm. I healed the wounds but they still left visible scars. I lose control over my fangs and claws …when I get excited. It will take some practice I think, between my extra appendages and your….umm great size….we make an interesting couple. ", she replied with a mischievous grin as her tail playfully dangled in front of him.

Halvor beamed proudly especially when she mentioned his size. "You know, it's a long trip back to Lower Lueders. I think we'll have plenty of time to practice."

* * *

><p>Isula practiced her Vedic in the balmy street. It was an odd language, even for a skilled linguist like herself.<p>

A priest or monk of some sort stopped in front of her and bowed. Then he promptly corrected her pronunciation.

The miniature giant bowed back and continued exploration of the Vinnraj city. Even though she considered herself well-travelled , especially from the trip around Grom and back to the Northern Kingdoms recently, Isula had never encountered a land so full of wonders and of impossible sights. Hairless mammoths used as mounts, hairy bestial halflings with tails kept as pets, marble towers and domes, and most notably the myriad of mesmerizing scents. The people here mastered the art of appealing to all the senses to an art, espically those that involved taste and smell. Spices of all varieties and charming perfumes dazzled the miniature giant. She thought she could spend months maybe years attempting to categorize all the fragrances she had found.

Even with her curse and a change of clothing she knew she stuck out amongst the populace. Her white hair and pale complexion were a stark contrast to the rich brown skins of the natives. Isula didn't care though; she had always been a stranger where ever she went. Recently, even amongst her own people.

As the giant continued to explore this distant land, she encountered a crowd that was gawking at something in a cage. At first she thought it would be some type of exotic animal like the menagerie that she had already seen, but instead she was shocked to see a small boy huddled in a cage. She noted he looked like the rest of the natives, except he was very thin, most likely starving, had patches of scales and a single horn on his head.

"Tiefling…", she said shaking her head as she recognized the boy's heritage.

The sight of this boy brought up thoughts of an old comrade. Isula never considered Zax a friend, but something more akin to a parasite or a leach. He hung off the coat tails of Halvor , he took all the glory for the defeat of the ogre mage, he later hid behind her friend Darwen for protection. His actions didn't anger the small giant, but she admitted she found it very annoying.

Regardless of her thoughts about him, he had done the impossible on the Iceberg of Ogremoch. Not only did he defeat Champion Felwind but he surprisingly placed the orb beyond the Earth lord's reach. Against her judgement the tiefling convinced Isula to summon the dreaded Hafgufa . The giant wasn't afraid of much in the world, but the eldritch horror from the sea was definitely one of them. Isula refused at first, but after several near misses form the relentless lighting summoned by the orb, she relented. It meant death, but the tiefling apparently had a plan.

The Hafgufa was summoned shrouded by mists, and Zax approached it with the orb in hand. After a few minutes the mists vanished , along with the orb, and the Hafgufa. Zax remained though , confident and as annoying as ever.

The cocky tiefling explained that he offered the orb to the creature as tribute for services rendered in the past. The creature was more than happy to take the gift apparently and promptly left with its tribute. Zax explained that the elementals would never be able to assault the Hafgufa in its own watery realm to retrieve the orb, so he was confident it was now safe. Treekeeper Surry asked what would happen if the Hafgufa attempted to trade or sell the orb. Zax of course brushed aside her comment stating, that it probably didn't get out much, and was most likely living in its mother's lower grotto still.

Isula felt a bit empty at the loss of one of the sacred Relics, but knew it had to be done. They had already triggered the down fall of Frosthaven and the wasting of the royal blood line. More importantly her people had grown too reliant on them. Reluctantly she accepted the annoying tiefling's actions.

Despite the focus of the storm gone, the weather still battered them. Even the sturdy giant thought her doom was sealed, but her friend Darwen arrived. She was accompanied by a band of chubby half elven buccaneers and told them to follow her. With little options before them, the tiefling, giant, and elf agreed in haste.

They trekked down several miles and were greeted by more buccaneers on the deck of the Acheron. The buccaneers told them that they made the trip in nought since the Captain was dead. Only Blaze could command the ship , and with her departure the ship had somehow ushered them out. Even worse was that the ships doors were frozen shut , so the buccaneers couldn't attempt to storm the vessel.

Isula and the Treekeeper were prepared to assault the vessel with their remaining magic and strength, but Darwen and Zax managed to open the door and somehow take over the ship.

Isula didn't know how, but they were soon ushered into the Acheron by the grateful buccaneers.

The bronze and iron ship sheltered the Treekeeper till she regained her spells. Afterwards she teleported away, most likely back to Narwhal hold. Darwen wanted Isula to stay with them on their trip to Irendi of all places but Isula turned down her offer. Despite her friendship with the grey haired elf, Isula knew Darwen was meant to be with Zax. The giant would only be a third seal.

After a tearful farewell , Isula then left for Barkwark when the Acheron sailed close. From there she booked passage to the most distant and far off place she could find, the Kingdoms of Mysteries, the Vinnraj states. The giant needed a new start, away from her people and away from her past. The city states of Vinnraj seem as good a place to begin anew as any.

As Isula contemplated her recent past, she was jarred to the present by a howl of pain from the tiefling boy. The crowd had begun to pelt it with rocks after paying the creature's owner for their pleasure. The normally cool headed Isula felt anger. Regardless if this boy was a tiefling or not, he did not deserve this. She simply walked to the cage picked it up and smashed it open with her strength. The owner protested vehemently in the unknown Vedic tongue, but she silenced him with a few gold coins and a glare that meant trouble in any language.

"Boy, can you speak abyssal?", she asked with a commanding tone in the dark tongue.

The boy looked at her in shock then nodded. "Yes….", he replied. The boy was still startled by the young girl who did not seem much older them himself.

"You belong to me now till you repay your debt. I need a guide and a translator. ", stated the giant.

"Yes my lady. I am Akash I will repay you for your mercy." responded the boy as he prostrated himself before her.

Isula yanked him up and scowled. "Look Aki I have a few rules, no sucking up, no stories about carriage driving, no make believe tales of acid blooded rats, no seducing any of my friends, no non-stop yapping, no pony abuse, and absolutely no making deals with my people's relics with eldritch horrors! Got that?", she seethed .

The boy looked confused as he nodded, then the pair walked away. They of course drew many stares, but Isula dispelled them when she stared back. She half expected the local guard to confront her, but they seemed to give her a wide berth. The giant suspected they respected power and were not going to challenge her because she had plenty of it. Isula smiled, this land might work out after all.

* * *

><p>The elf fumed, this wasn't going to work out after all.<p>

Darwen paced on the bridge of the Acheron. The buccaneers gave her a wide berth as they sensed her anger.

As much as she adored her beloved Zax, there was a part of her that couldn't stand all his lounging around.

"Idle hands make Asmodeus's work.", was what her old master use to say. It was a bit ironic applying this axiom to Zax due to his heritage but the point was there. Though a large part of her knew that he wasn't a hero or possessed any adventuring skills, a significant part of her didn't want him to waste his life away.

Darwen knew he earned his rest. After she rescued the buccaneer retrieval team, Darwen and the half elves found Zax, the Treekeeper, and Isula over the body of Felwind and a huge elemental. After some tiefling chicanery, Zax convinced Isula to summon the Hafgufa , which he then offered the orb to . It was a good plan as long as the cosmic horror didn't decide to trade the thing off.

Afterwards they were lead to the Acheron by the buccaneers, but apparently the ship had rejected the crew. It seemed Blaze put a ward on the vessel to eject its passengers if she was ever killed. The cold hearted bitch didn't trust her crew would revive her so had a contingent to eject them as well. Darwen thought she could control the vessel, but the doors were frozen shut. If she used a fire spell the ship would most likely react defensively and submerge, and it would take too long to light and use a simple torch to unfreeze the door.

Surprisingly Zax used his racial ability to raise his skin temperature on the lock and gradually unfroze it. The tiefling was surprised as much as anyone that his much bemoaned power came in handy. Darwen then confronted the ship and exterted her will to control it. She had met and befriended Christabel, the bow spirit of the Acheron, before and was confident it would accept her leadership. Luckily for them it did, and the grateful buccaneers swore fealty to the grey haired elf.

Darwen thought they would return to Narwhal hold or Grom City , but Zax wanted no part of it. He told her in private that he cared not for being a Champion or a Royal Adventurer. He didn't want fame , riches, or to embarrass lady Nayra anymore. He just wanted a quiet life with her on some desolate Irendi beach. Darwen of course melted at his heart felt confession and she accepted his path. He hoped to convince everyone that he vanished after the glacier and laying low was a good start. They dropped the Treekeeper off near Narwhal hold, and she seemed amiable to Zax's deception. Darwen noted that the sad eyed half elf had her own troubles it seems. Isula wanted to forge her own route , and she was dropped off in Barkwark. The half elf understood that the small giant was changed after discovering her past, and needed a new start to find her future. Besides Zax, Darwen felt closest to her , so it was a bitter sweet goodbye for the pair.

After that, they sailed to the tropical isles of distant Irendi. The buccaneers were free to muster out in one of the trading ports there, but most of them stayed aboard. They couldn't steal the ship, since Christabel controlled it, and Darwen controlled Christabel.

This left the displaced elf and tiefling plenty of time to relax and enjoy each other's company on the sunny beaches there. Darwen expected her skin to burn from so much sun, but her elven physiology adapted to it well. Her pale skin actually turned a healthy golden tan, though not as bright as Zax's natural orange skin. Her normally dull grey hair began to take a golden sheen similar to the wig that Zax bought her so long ago in Grom City.

The idyllic lifestyle was nice at first but Darwen craved some form of task to keep her occupied. She began putting the Acheron's services for hire, mainly as an escort or a pirate hunter. Zax on the other hand wanted no part of it and opted to stay on the beach. At first it was nice to get away from Zax for a few days or even a week at a time, but the new Elven captain began to grow irritated at him. She noted the normally thin Zax was beginning to grow a paunch and worse was beginning to show signs of being sloven . Before her last trip she demanded Zax to find a job at the nearby port , even a part time one, , perhaps as a bartender, or maybe a carriage driver. If he failed to do this she would drag him along on her next mission. Darwen had no intentions to abandon him, but neither did she want him to waste his life on a beach.

The Acheron had moored nearby their nameless beach they called home. The buccaneers then prepared skiffs to get supplies and to enjoy their shore leave at the nearby port town. When she was confident that everything was secure aboard the vessel, Darwen used her magic to fly to the beach and hoped her fears were not confirmed. To her surprise there was no sign of Zax to be seen.

Panic set in to the now golden haired elf. Was Zax in trouble? Did he have enough of her nagging? Though it seemed impossible, Darwen admitted that her last bout of demands were a bit overbearing, and might have drove him away. It was fine aboard the Acheron or in the army, but Zax was Zax. He did save the world, maybe he deserved a few more months of relaxation she thought.

"Oh hey! I see you've come back…..check out these robes! ", declared a smiling Zax as he came out of the tropical foliage and onto the beach. Behind him was his battered but trusty pony, Bucky. True to his word, the tiefling was wearing a long light green robe, but they seemed to be made of a light airy material, unlike the heavy frost warding garments from the north.

Darwen breathed a sigh of relief but gave no sign of that to the tiefling. "You've been shopping for clothes instead of finding work , while I was gone? ", she said in a cross voice, hiding her momentary worry.

Zax shook his head . "No . no ..no….This is my uniform for my new line of work! ", he declared proudly.

"New line of work?", asked Darwen in surprise with a bit of doubt thrown in .

"Yes ma'am! Starting today, I'm a full-fledged member of the Irendi Circle of druids! ", stated the tiefling smugly.

"What? Wait…why in Grom did they let you in ? Don't you need magical druid powers or something? ", asked the elf in surprise.

Zax chuckled. "Well I was hoping to get a transfer from my membership of the Devil's Woods Circle, but apparently they don't do that kind of stuff there. I begged the arch druid of the area but he seemed unmoved by my pleas to enter their organization. After a while I grew frustrated and began to leave, but then he suddenly reversed their decision! "

"Really? Why?", asked Darwen intrigued at his tale.

"In a word, Bucky! Apparently some of the lesser rank druids saw the pony that I was riding on. When I was talking to the Arch druid they examined him and reported their findings to their boss. They said I must have been a great lover of animals to take in this poor beast and nurse him to health. Only a true champion of nature would keep a one eyed drug addicted pony that was missing a rib as a mount instead of putting the beast out of its misery. So after hearing their recommendation, the Arch druid accepted me into his order! ", explained Zax while turning and modelling his new robes for Darwen. "So…..are you proud of me? I think I deserve some hot elf sex tonight or something right? ", pleaded the tiefling slyly.

Darwen laughed and hugged Zax. As they embraced she recalled all the adventures they shared . She knew he would always be there for her, and she would be there for him. It didn't matter what the truth of his reputation was, or what he actually accomplished, she had found her hero and she was happy.


End file.
